Audi A8. Even more luxury after the facelift

Refined design, especially at the front and rear, and new technical solutions - these are the features of the flagship of the premium segment under the sign of the four rings - the Audi A8.

Audi A8. External design

The base of the Singleframe grille is wider and its grille is adorned with a chrome frame that widens from the bottom up. The side air intakes are now more vertical and, like the headlights, have been completely redesigned. The lower edge of the headlights creates a characteristic contour on the outside.

The elongated lines of the body emphasize the length of the car, and the wide wheel arches echo the standard quattro transmission. In all model variants, the lower part of the door is concave and has an edge facing the road. The rear is dominated by wide chrome buckles, a personalized light signature with OLED digital elements and a continuous segmented light bar. The diffuser in the rear bumper has been redesigned and its new styling is accentuated by thin horizontal fins.

As an option, Audi is also offering customers the "Chrome" exterior design package and - for the first time for the A8 - the new S line exterior design package. The latter gives the front end a dynamic character and further distinguishes it from the basic version: as in the S8, the striking lip in the area of ​​the side air intakes accentuates the front view. For even greater clarity, an optional black trim package. The A8 color palette includes eleven colors, including the new District Green Metallic, Firmament Blue, Manhattan Gray and Ultra Blue. New for the Audi A8 are five matt colours: Daytona Grey, Florette Silver, District Green, Terra Gray and Glacier White. The exclusive Audi program allows the customer to order a car in any color of their choice.

Audi A8. Body length 5,19 m.

The modifications associated with the rejuvenation of the model cause only minimal changes in the dimensions of the flagship Audi model. The A8 has a wheelbase of 3,00m, a length of 5,19m, a width of 1,95m and a height of 1,47m. The S8 is about one centimeter longer. The body of the A8 follows the principle of the Audi Space Frame (ASF): it consists of 58 percent aluminum parts.

Audi A8. Digital Matrix LED headlights and OLED taillights.

Matrix digital LED spotlights use DMD (Digital Micro-Mirror Device) technology, similar to that used in video projectors. Each reflector is made up of approximately 1,3 million micro-mirrors that scatter light into tiny pixels, meaning you can control the light beam very precisely this way. A new feature that can be applied thanks to this technique is a light that accurately locates a car on a highway lane. It is based on the fact that the headlights emit a strip that very brightly illuminates the strip along which the car is moving. Guiding lights are especially useful in road maintenance, as they help the driver stay on course in a narrow lane. Matrix digital LED headlights can generate dynamic animations - hello and goodbye - when the car is locked and unlocked. It is displayed on the ground or on a wall.

The facelifted Audi A8 comes standard with OLED digital taillights (OLED = Organic Light Emitting Diode). When ordering a car, you can choose one of two taillight signatures, in S8 - one of three. When dynamic mode is selected, a different light signature is displayed in the Audi drive select driving dynamics system, which is only available in this mode.

The OLED digital taillights, in combination with driver assistance systems, have an approach warning function: if another vehicle approaches within two meters of a parked A8, all OLED light segments are activated. Additional features include dynamic turn signals and hello and goodbye sequences.

Audi A8. Interior

The range of seats and their equipment for the updated A8 is diverse. All seats are very comfortable, and the rear seats are now available with an expanded range of options. The top version of the equipment is the relaxation chair in the A8 L model. It offers many adjustment possibilities and the footrest can be lowered from the front seat. Passengers can warm their feet on it or enjoy massages of varying intensity.

The seats are upholstered in Valetta leather as standard. Valcona leather is optionally available with a choice of another color: cognac brown. New in the package is Dinamica microfiber on the interior door panels, which can also be used to cover the pillars or ceiling if desired.

Characteristic of the updated A8 is the wide range of interior configuration packages available. These include the Audi design packages in pastel silver and the S line interior in black, merlot red or cognac. The range of options is rounded off by several leather packages and Audi Exclusive leather equipment. The optional air quality package includes an ionizer and a fragrance function.

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The Audi A8 MMI touch control concept is based on two displays (10,1″ and 8,6″) and a voice function. The dialogue with the system begins with the words "Hi, Audi!". The fully digital Audi virtual instrument cluster with optional head-up display on the windshield completes the operating concept and emphasizes the focus on driver comfort.

MMI navigation plus is standard on the facelifted Audi A8. It is based on the third generation Modular Infotainment Platform (MIB 3). Standard online services and Car-2-X with Audi connect complete the navigation system. They are divided into two packages: Audi connect Navigation & Infotainment and Audi Safety & Service with Audi connect Remote & Control.

Audi A8. New screens in the back of the car

New rear-mounted screens are tailored to the expectations of rear seat passengers. Attached to the backs of the front seats are two 10,1-inch Full HD displays. They display the contents of passengers' mobile devices and have the function of receiving streaming audio and video data, for example from well-known streaming platforms, TV media libraries or mobile networks.

The sophisticated Bang & Olufsen music system is designed for demanding lovers of the highest quality sound. The system's 1920D sound can now also be heard in the rear row of seats. A 23 watt amplifier feeds sound to XNUMX speakers and the tweeters are electrically pop-out from the dash. The rear passenger remote control, now permanently attached to the center armrest, allows many comfort and entertainment functions to be controlled from the rear seat. The OLED touch screen control unit is the size of a smartphone.

Audi A8. Three packages: driver assistance systems

Approximately 8 driver assistance systems are available for the facelifted Audi A40. Some of these, including the Audi pre sense basic and Audi pre sense front safety systems, are standard. The options are grouped into packages "Park", "City" and "Tour". The Plus package combines all three of the above. Features such as night driving assistant and 360° cameras are available separately.

Part of the Park package is the Parking Assistant Plus: it can automatically steer this large limousine into or out of a parking space parallel to the street. The driver does not even have to be in the car.

The City package includes Cross-Traffic Assist, Rear Traffic Assist, Lane Change Assist, Departure Warning and Audi pre sense 360˚ occupant protection which, in combination with the active suspension, initiates protection in the event of a collision.

Tour Pack is the most complete of all. It is based on the Adaptive Driving Assistant, which regulates the longitudinal and lateral control of the car throughout the entire speed range. Behind the assistance systems in the Audi A8 is the central driver assistance controller (zFAS), which constantly calculates the vehicle's environment.

Audi A8. Drive versions

The updated Audi A8 is available with five engines. 3.0 TDI and 3.0 TFSI are six-cylinder V6 engines. The 4.0 TFSI engine, available for the A8 and S8 models in various power ratings, has built-in cylinder-on-demand technology. The TFSI e plug-in hybrid version combines a 3.0 TFSI engine with an electric motor.

The 3.0 TDI unit is fitted to the Audi A8 50 TDI quattro and A8 L 50 TDI quattro. It delivers 210 kW (286 hp) of power and 600 Nm of torque, available from 1750 rpm and constant up to 3250 rpm. This diesel engine accelerates the A8 50 TDI and A8 L TDI 50 from 0 to 100 km/h. in 5,9 seconds and reach an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h.

The 3.0 TFSI engine with 250 kW (340 hp) is used in the Audi A8 55 TFSI quattro and A8 L 55 TFSI. A 210 kW (286 hp) variant is available in China. It delivers 500 Nm of torque from 1370 to 4500 rpm. Accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h. in 5,6 seconds (L version: 5,7 seconds).

The 4.0 TFSI engine develops 338 kW (460 hp) and 660 Nm of torque available from 1850 to 4500 rpm. This allows for sporty driving: The A8 60 TSFI quattro and A8 L 60 TFSI quattro accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h. in 4,4 seconds. The hallmark of this V8 is the cylinder-on-demand (COD) system, which temporarily disables four cylinders under moderate driving conditions.

Audi A8 with plug-in hybrid drives

The Audi A8 60 TFSI e quattro and A8 L 60 TFSI e quattro are plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models. The 3.0 TFSI engine is supported here by a compact electric motor. The rear-mounted lithium-ion battery can store 14,4 kWh net (17,9 kWh gross) – much more than before. With a system output of 340 kW (462 hp) and a system torque of 700 Nm, the Audi A8 60 TFSI e quattro accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h. in 4,9 seconds.

Plug-in hybrid drivers can choose between four driving modes. EV stands for pure electric driving, Hybrid is an efficient combination of both types of driving, Hold saves available electricity and in charge mode the internal combustion engine charges the battery. Maximum charging power - AC - 7,4 kW. Customers can charge the battery with the e-tron compact charging system in their own garage or with a Mode 3 cable while on the road. In Europe, the Audi e-tron charging service provides access to around 250 charging points.

Audi A8. Tiptronic, quattro and sports differential

All Audi A8 engines are mated to an eight-speed tiptronic automatic transmission. Thanks to the electric oil pump, the automatic transmission can shift gears even when the combustion engine is not running. Quattro permanent all-wheel drive with self-locking center differential is standard and can be optionally supplemented with a sports differential (standard on S8, not available on plug-in hybrids). It actively distributes torque between the rear wheels during fast cornering, making handling even sportier and more stable.

A new component for the A8 is predictive active suspension. It can individually, with the help of electric drives, unload or load each wheel with additional power and thus actively adjust the position of the chassis in any driving situation.

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