Audi makes modifications to the exterior design of the A8 , now with a wider grille and chrome corners. Also with new side air intakes or OLED pilots, being able to choose between two light forms at the time of purchase. They also offer proximity indication functions so that elements are activated if a vehicle approaches less than two meters from behind. From the basic finish, a chrome exterior package and an S Line exterior package are offered.
These changes do not affect the dimensions, which maintains a length of 5.19 m in the “short” version and 5.30 in the A8L, both with a width of 1.95 m and a height of 1.47. The S8 reaches 5.20 m in European markets, while in China, the United States, Canada or Korea it is only offered with the long one.
Smarter lighting
Each of the A8’s headlights has approximately 1.3 million micromirrors. These Matrix Led headlights provide a new function that illuminates the lane with special intensity. Also another one that helps to stay in the lane in work zones. In addition, they offer specific functions when driving or leaving the car that emit projections on the ground or a wall. In the passenger compartment, the ambient light plus package
is deployed – as standardwith the Audi Design Selection and in the S8-. It also has a new operating system for infotainment, MIB 3, which incorporates the ability to “talk” with infrastructure: Car-2-X.
Two new 10.1” screens are available to rear passengers with Full HD resolution. They are placed on the backs of the front seats and display the content of the passengers’ portable devices, including television media libraries.
As for the sound equipment, it could be a Bang & Olufsen with a 1,920-watt amplifier and 23 speakers. The rear seat remote control is now mounted in the center armrest.
Driving assistance, which in the A8 adds up to about 40, sThey are divided into packages: Park, City and Tour, while other elements such as the night vision assistant or the 360º cameras are available individually.
In the Park, there is the remote parking assistant, which allows parking without the driver being in the car; in the City, those of intersections, lane maintenance, rear cross traffic, exit or the Pre Sense 360º that prepares the A8 for a collision; while in the Tour, which is standard in Spain, there is adaptive cruise control with longitudinal and lateral guidance of the car.
From 286 to 571 hp, all four-wheel drive and automatic
The range of engines is made up of three blocks: the 3-liter V6 in Diesel and gasoline, the 4.0, and the V8 with selective cylinder disconnection and the plug-in hybrid, which uses the V6 TFSI together with an electric motor.
Thus, the 3.0 TDI is used in the A8 50 TDI quattro in its two lengths. It has 286 hp. For its part, the 3.0 TFSI is the heart of the A8 55 TFSI quattro and provides 340 hp . As for the 4.0 TFSI, it generates 460 hp in the A8 60 TFSI quattro and 571 hp in the Audi S8 , it is only available with the short body. In all cases they are microhybridized with a 48 volt electrical system.
For its part, the A8 60 TFSIe quattro use the 3.0 TFSI supported by an electric motorwhich is powered by a 14.4 kWh net capacity battery. Total power is now 462 hp.
That electric motor is embedded in an automatic gearbox that, as in the rest of the A8, is an eight-speed Tiptronic and that, optionally – except in the S8, which is standard and in the hybrid, in which it is not available – can be supplemented with a sports rear differential.
A chassis ready for anything
In the chassis, the A8 has a predictive active suspension, standard on the S8, which regulates the damping according to the irregularities that a camera perceives, for example, in the most comfortable mode. It can also reduce the inclinations of the bodywork in curves., doing with lateral accelerations of up to 0.4 g these are not noticeable working independently with each pneumatic spring.
These Audis also have optional four-wheel steering, which is standard on the S8, while air suspension and progressive-type steering are standard on all of them.
For the Chinese market the A8 L Horch will be on sale . It measures 5.45 m, 13 cm more than the A8 L and has particularly luxurious elements such as upholstery, a grille or special wheels, chrome applications on the mirrors, a larger panoramic roof and, among others, a relaxation seat. Three color combinations will be used in the bodywork.
