Audi lit up the skies last evening in Miami as they unveiled one of the most awaited luxury sedans of 2010 – the next generation A8! Being Audi’s flagship model, the new A8 takes technology and design to a new level with full LED headlights, plush interiors, lightweight aluminum space frame (ASF) body and an array of highly efficient and powerful petrol and diesel engines. Audi claims that the new A8 is the sportiest luxury sedan in its class and is the perfect blend of dynamics, design, worksmanship and engineering. We have no reason to doubt that considering the performance of the old generation A8 and the engineering of the new generation Audis.
The A8 will be initially launched with TSI (petrol) and TDI (diesel) engines, both in 4.2-litre capacities and producing more than 350 hp each. Audi claims that the increase in power has been complimented with a 13 to 22 percent drop in fuel consumption, thanks to new tech like the recuperation system and innovative thermal management. These variants will later be joined by an entry-level 3.0 TDI which will trade in the Quattro system for a cheaper front wheel drive system. The cheaper variant will also lose out on the state of the art full-LED headlights, which we feel are one of the most striking elements of the new design.
All the engines will be mated to Audi’s new eight-speed tiptronic dual clutch gearbox. The Quattro permanent all-wheel drive has a distinct sporty and rear-end character, which on request, the sport differential dynamically distributes the forces between the rear wheels. To take the performance quotient higher, the new A8 makes use of lightweight aluminum for the wheel control arms and also balances out the axle loads to better dynamics. Technologies like adaptive air suspension and adaptive damping aid further.
The interiors are as plush as you can expect. Apart from loads of leather and wood, the A8 uses astonishingly less amount of buttons. This facet is credited to the new Mutimedia Interface (MMI) which controls most of the onboard tech with a simple dial. The new infotainment system is coupled to the acoustics from 19 Bang and Olufsen speakers combing 1,400 watts of output!
The new A8 will hit Audi’s European showrooms by Q1 2010. For India, the new A8 will make its first public appearance at the Auto Expo. We are expecting the car to go on sale by May 2010 throughout Audi India’s dealership network.
Stay tuned as we bring you more information on the A8 throughout the day.