Going to Great Lengths

When it comes to high-end luxury sedans, the competition between German automakers is intense.  And with its flagship A8 receiving a midlife facelift for 2014, Audi is well and truly keeping up the heat on its rivals.

 

Outwardly, the A8 continues to be supremely understated, with subtle elegance and clean smooth lines.  One eye-catching feature is the all-new LED headlight clusters. As well as being visually impressive, they also have very high tech functionality – a camera mounted at the top of the windscreen scans the road ahead and automatically shuts off sections of the high beams to avoid dazzling other drivers.  The car even uses information from the navigation system to bend light around corners.

 

The LED taillights are also new, and there are some small changes to the massive front grille and air intakes, and an extra set of crease lines on the hood for a more sculptured appearance.  

 

Other than the looks, there are some new standard features like keyless entry and ignition, and power-closing mechanisms for the doors and boot.

 

For 2014, all the engines boast more power but less fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions, so that they all meet EU6 emission standards.  And there is an all-new V6 turbodiesel engine available.

 

For Macau, three petrol engine variants are likely to be more popular including a V6, V8 and massive W12 setup.  All three powertrains offer superb acceleration and performance and are coupled with a masterfully calibrated eight-speed automatic transmission.

The base model 3.0T features a supercharged V6 producing 333 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque.  With this engine under the hood, even the long-wheel based model is capable of 0-100km/h in an impressive 5.9 seconds, making it one of the fastest in its class.

 

For even more grunt, the 4.0T offers a turbocharged V8 packing 420 horsepower and 444 pound-feet of torque.  This will make the 0-100 run in 4.2 seconds.

 

And when you can never have enough power, the 6.3-litre W12 takes you up to a huge 500 horsepower with 463 pound-feet of torque, although it’s sprint speed is slightly slower due to added weight, but still an impressive 4.4 seconds.

 

Fuel efficiency for the three engines for city/highway combined is 7.9 litres/100km for both the V6 and V8, and 14 litres/100km for the thirstier W12.

 

All models come standard with Audi’s renowned Quattro all-wheel-drive system, which offers plenty of grip and superbly tight handling, even on the longer wheel base versions.  The A8 is not meant to be a sports car of course, but it is surprisingly nimble nonetheless, and an optional Sports Plus package adds sport-tuned air suspension, adaptive steering and rear limited-slip differential, putting this luxury sedan in good stead against most smaller performance cars in terms of handling and on-road dynamics.

 

Another nice feature of the A8 is the Drive Select function, which modifies throttle response, steering weight and suspension.  The driver can choose between Comfort, Auto and Dynamic modes and even customize the setup for their own personal preference in the Individual mode.

 

Of course, when buying a car in this segment of the market, performance is just one part of the equation.   Ultimately it has to be luxurious too, and on this front the A8 excels.  Its interior is arguably one of the best around, with copious amounts of leather, wood and aluminium trimmings, all elegantly combined and beautifully designed and crafted.  

 

A nice touch is the redesigned gear shift lever which is modeled after those in yachts and powerboats.  Front passengers get 18-way adjustable seats with an upgrade option to 22-way including heating and cooling and massage function.  

 

At the press of a button the eight-inch LCD display smoothly glides out of the dash to show the infotainment information, Drive Select options, the rearview camera display and navigation system. All these are controlled via Audi’s Multi Media Interface or MMI. A rotating knob on the centre console scrolls through menus and clicks to select, and there is also MMI Touch with a touch sensitive writing pad, or even voice command options.

 

Audi Connect uploads the A8’s navigation maps directly from Google Earth, offering crystal clear images.  Meanwhile the screen also shows images from the rear view camera with options for front view, side view and a 360 degree top view so you will never have any parking incidents.

 

As satisfying as the A8 is to drive, even the most dedicated motoring enthusiast is going to enjoy spending time as a passenger in this luxury sedan, courtesy of the supreme comfort afforded in the back seats. The long wheel base version offers 43 inches of legroom to stretch out in. The rear seats are power adjustable and include a footrest and massage and recline functions. Throw in the 4-zone climate control, 2-panel panoramic sunroof, 19-speaker Bang and Olufsen sound system and rear seat entertainment system with 10-inch headrest-mounted screens, and this is definitely a place you will want to be spending a lot of time in.

 

Being a top end model, there are plenty of other standard features and options including adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, night vision collision warning system and Bluetooth voice command just to name a few.

 

Overall, the A8 combines light, responsive handling with high performance efficient engines, tons of tech and a superbly luxurious interior, making it a definite force in the world of high end, executive saloons.