Audi has unveiled the new A8 which is due in Australia mid-2018. It features new technology and takes a step towards automated driving.
The all-wheel drive luxury sedan is also one of the largest in the class at 5.17 metres long in the standard version or 5.30 in the A8 L long wheelbase variant. This is accentuated by the use of design elements such as the upright Singleframe grille.
The Audi A8 also features HD Matrix LED headlights with Audi laser lighting and a LED light strip and OLED rear lights which can be activated to produce a unique light animation as the driver approaches or leaves the vehicle.
On the interior, the highlight is the rear right seat which has the option in the A8 L of providing four different adjustments and a footrest where the passenger can warm and massage their feet. There are also new comfort head restraints included. Rear passengers also have the power to control features such as ambient lighting, HD Matrix reading lights, seat massage and make private phone calls.
Up front, there is also a new 10.1-inch touchscreen display which is claimed to make operating different functions simpler and easier. There is also a second touchscreen display on the centre tunnel console.
The new Audi A8 also incorporates voice activated features and the Audi connect range also includes traffic sign recognition and hazard information. The new navigation system is also self-learning basing search suggestions on the routes already taken.
Audi A8’s claim to fame, however, is that it is the first production vehicle to have been developed specifically to incorporate highly automated driving. Technology such as Audi AI traffic jam, which takes control of the vehicle in slow-moving traffic up to 60km/h on freeways and highways with a barrier, Audi AI remote parking and Audi AI garage pilot, which both park the vehicle, are key features of the model. Although not all of the technology is 100 per cent legal in all countries at present, Audi has committed to a step-by-step approach for introducing the autonomous technology into their production models.
Getting down to the nuts and bolts of the Audi A8, underneath the hood there are initially two V6 turbo engines available; the 3.0 TDI and 3.0 TFSI. In terms of power, the diesel option delivers 210kW whilst the petrol provides 250kW of power. Audi is expecting that two eight-cylinder versions will be available shortly after launch. These will be a 4.0 TDI putting down 320kW and a 4.0 TFSI with 338kW of power available. The top of the line engine comes in the form of the W12 with a displacement of 6.0 litres.
The A8 L e-tron quattro, the hybrid drive version, will be available at a later date. It will feature a 3.0 TFSI and electric motor combination outputting 330kW of power and 700Nm of torque. The lithium-ion battery should be able to store enough power for 50 kilometres of electric driving. It will also feature wireless charging utilising a pad on the garage floor which will transfer power inductively to a receiver coil.
The Audi A8 model line-up pricing and specifications will be released closer to launch expected around mid-2018.
Let’s start a Car Conversation, would you trust the autonomous driving technology found in the new Audi A8?
