Audi A8 after restyling. Which changes?
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The A8, the successor to the Audi V8, has been Audi's flagship in the luxury limousine segment since 1994. The latest version of the competitor, incl. The BMW 7 Series has undergone a rejuvenating treatment.
Audi A8. Appearance
The Singleframe grille is now wider and the grille is adorned with a chrome frame that flares out at the top. The side air intakes are more vertical and the design has been updated, as have the headlamps, whose lower edge now forms a distinctive outline on the outside.
The rear is dominated by wide chrome buckles, a personalized light signature with OLED digital elements and a continuous segmented light bar. The diffuser insert with horizontal ribs has been redesigned and slightly accentuated. The Audi S8 is equipped with four flow-optimised tailpipes in round bodies – a typical feature of the Audi S-type and one of the highlights of the car's sporty design.
In addition to the base version, Audi is offering customers a chrome exterior package and, for the first time for the A8, a new S line exterior package. The latter gives the front end a dynamic character and further differentiates it from the base model. Sharp edges in the area of the side air intakes complement the front view - like the S8. For even greater clarity, an optional black trim package. The A8 paint color palette contains eleven colors, including the new Metallic Green, Sky Blue, Manhattan Gray and Ultra Blue. Also new for the Audi A8 are five matt colours: Dayton Grey, Silver Flower, District Green, Terra Gray and Glacier White. In the exclusive Audi program, the car is painted in the color chosen by the customer..
The improvements introduced have resulted in only minimal changes to the dimensions of Audi's flagship model in the luxury limousine segment. The wheelbase of the A8 is 3,00 m, length - 5,19 m, width - 1,95 m, height - 1,47 m.
Audi A8. Digital Matrix LED headlights and OLED taillights.
Matrix LED spotlights, which can be compared to digital video projectors, use DMD (Digital Micro-Mirror Device) technology. Each headlight contains about 1,3 million microscopic mirrors that break the light beam into tiny pixels. This allows you to control it with maximum precision. A new feature created with this technique is useful lane lighting and motorway guide light. The headlights emit a strip that illuminates very brightly the lane along which the car is moving. The guidance light is especially useful on repaired sections of road as it helps the driver stay in the narrow lane. The moment the doors are unlocked and you get out of the car, the Matrix Digital LED Headlights can generate dynamic animations of hello or goodbye. It is displayed on the ground or on a wall.
The updated A8 comes standard with OLED (OLED = Organic Light Emitting Diode) digital taillights. When ordering a car, you can choose one of two taillight signatures, in S8 - one of three. When dynamic mode is selected in Audi drive select, the light signature becomes wider. This signature is only available in this mode.
OLED digital taillights, combined with driver assistance systems, offer an approach identification function: all OLED segments are activated if another vehicle appears within two meters of a parked A8. Additional features include dynamic turn signals and hello and goodbye sequences.
Audi A8. What displays?
The MMI touch control concept of the Audi A8 is based on two displays (10,1" and 8,6") and speech recognition. This function is called by the words "Hey Audi!" The fully digital Audi virtual cockpit with an optional head-up display on the windshield completes the operating and display concept. It highlights the brand's focus on driver comfort.
MMI navigation plus is standard on the Audi A8. It is based on the third generation Modular Infotainment Platform (MIB 3). The navigation system comes with standard online services and Car-2-X from Audi connect. They are divided into two packages: Audi connect Navigation & Infotainment and Audi connect Safety & Service with Audi connect Remote & Control.
Infotainment options are also available for the upgraded Audi A8. The new rear screens - two 10,1-inch Full HD displays attached to the front seat backs - meet the expectations of today's rear seat passengers. They display the contents of passengers' mobile devices and have the function of receiving streaming audio and video, for example, from well-known streaming platforms or TV media libraries.
The sophisticated Bang & Olufsen audio system is designed for demanding audio enthusiasts. Now high-quality three-dimensional sound can be heard in the rear seats. A 1920W amplifier feeds 23 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. Smartphone-sized control unit with OLED touch screen.
Audi A8. Driver assistance systems
About 8 driver assistance systems are available in the improved 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. The standout feature of the Park package is Remote Parking Plus Plus: it can automatically steer the Audi A8 and pull it in or out of a parallel parking space. The driver does not even need to sit in the car.
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The City package includes cross-traffic assistant, rear traffic assistant, lane change assistant, exit warning and the Audi pre sense 360° occupant protection system, which, in combination with the active suspension, initiates collision protection.
The Tour Pack is extremely versatile. It is based on the adaptive driving assistant, which regulates the longitudinal and lateral control of the car over the entire speed range. Behind the assistance systems in the Audi A8 is the central driver assistance controller (zFAS), which continuously calculates the vehicle's surroundings.
Audi A8. Drive offer
The improved Audi A8 with five engine versions offers a wide range of powertrains. From the V6 TFSI and V6 TDI engines (both with 3 liter displacement) to the TFSI e plug-in hybrid, V6 TFSI and electric motors up to the 4.0 liter TFSI. The latter can be installed on A8 and S8 models with different output power levels. Four liters of displacement are distributed over eight V-cylinders and equipped with cylinder-on-demand technology.
The 3.0 TFSI engine powers the Audi A8 55 TFSI quattro and A8 L 55 TFSI quattro with 250 kW (340 hp). A 210 kW (286 hp) variant is available in China. In the speed range from 1370 to 4500 rpm. provides a torque of 500 Nm. It accelerates a large Audi A8 limousine from 100 to 5,6 km/h. in 5,7 sec. (L version: XNUMX sec.).
In the A8 version, the 4.0 TFSI engine develops 338 kW (460 hp) and 660 Nm of torque, available from 1850 to 4500 rpm. This ensures a truly sporty driving experience: The A8 60 TFSI quattro and A8 L 60 TFSI quattro accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h. in 4,4 seconds. The hallmark of the V8 engine is the Cylinder on Demand (COD) system, which temporarily disables four of the eight cylinders when driving slowly.
The 3.0 TDI unit is fitted to the Audi A8 50 TDI quattro and A8 L 50 TDI quattro. It produces 210 kW (286 hp) and 600 Nm of torque. This diesel engine accelerates the A8 and A8 L from 0 to 100 km/h. in 5,9 seconds and reach an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h.
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. In this case, the 3.0 TFSI petrol engine is assisted by electric motors. The rear-mounted lithium-ion battery can store 14,4 kWh of clean (17,9 kWh gross) energy.
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 (A8 and A8 L).
Plug-in hybrid drivers can choose between four driving modes. EV mode stands for all-electric driving, hybrid mode is an efficient combination of both types of drive, Hold mode conserves available electricity, and in charge mode, the internal combustion engine charges the battery. When charging via cable, the maximum AC charging power is 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.
Audi S8. luxury class
The Audi S8 TFSI quattro is the top sports model in this range. The V8 biturbo engine develops 420 kW (571 hp) and 800 Nm of torque from 2050 to 4500 rpm. The standard Audi S8 TFSI quattro sprint is completed in 3,8 seconds. The COD system guarantees an increase in the performance of the S8. Flaps in the exhaust system provide an even richer engine sound on request. In addition, the most powerful model in the A8 family rolls off the production line with extensive standard equipment. It includes, among other things, a unique combination of innovative suspension components. Only the S8 leaves the factory with predictive active suspension, sport differential and dynamic all-wheel steering.
The sporty character of the car is deliberately emphasized by characteristic interior and exterior design elements. In major markets such as China, the US, Canada and South Korea, the Audi S8 is only available with a long wheelbase. It is much more convenient for users to lengthen and raise the vehicle - they get additional headroom and legroom.
All Audi A8 engines are linked 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 the S8). It actively distributes torque between the rear wheels during fast cornering, making handling even sportier and more stable.
Audi A8 L Horch: Special for the Chinese market
The Audi A8 L Horch, the top model for the Chinese market, is 5,45 m long, 13 cm longer than the A8 L model. exclusivity of this version of the model. In addition, the car offers chrome details such as on the mirror caps, a distinctive light signature at the rear, an enlarged panoramic sunroof, a Horch emblem on the C-pillar, H-shaped wheels and additional standard equipment including a lounge chair. . For the first time in the D segment, the top model is offering two-tone trim to Chinese buyers who want to give their car a particularly elegant look.
Three hand-painted color combinations are available here: Black Mythos and Silver Flower, Silver Flower and Black Mythos, and Sky Blue and Ultra Blue. The colors listed first are applied below the edge of the lights, i.e. tornado line.
Customers interested in armored Audi models will also benefit from the A8 enhancements. Prepared to meet the highest safety requirements, the A8 L Security is equipped with a 8 kW (420 hp) V571 biturbo engine. Mild hybrid technology (MHEV), which uses a 48-volt main electrical system, gives this armored sedan exceptional efficiency.
Audi A8. Prices and Availability
The improved Audi A8 will be available on the Polish market from December 2021. The base price of the A8 is now PLN 442. The Audi A100 8 TFSI e quattro starts at PLN 60 and the Audi S507 from PLN 200.
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