Audi has gone ahead and given its flagship A8 a mild refresh. Though the changes are subtle, there many new updates to make the limousine even more desirable. Expected to arrive in India by 2023, the updated A8 will come via the CBU route. Let’s take a look at all the changes:
Exterior
The front features a new face with a new, revised, larger grille. The bumper’s side air intakes feature a more upright layout and on top of them sit the redesigned headlights encompassing no fewer than 1.3 million micromirrors for the digital matrix function making them highly adaptable. The rear features new OLED taillamps which have a proximity indicator that enables them to light up when another vehicle comes near them. For the first time in the A8 lineup, Audi is making the A8 available with an S Line sports package that borrows some visual cues from the performance-oriented S8. For example, it adds additional blades near the side intakes of the front fascia, just like on the S8. A package that adds black accents to the exterior will also be available. It also gets four new metallic paint schemes namely District Green, Firmament Blue, Manhattan Gray, and Ultra Blue.
Interior
The changes to the interiors are much more subtle than the exterior. It gets the latest version of Audi Virtual Cockpit which is joined by an optional head-up display while the center console accommodates a pair of touchscreens. Audi has updated the infotainment system with its latest MIB 3 software.
There are two more screens in the back for the rear-seat entertainment system featuring 10.1-inch displays. Optional extras include a cooler with a bar compartment, a fold-out center console table, and a perfume function. There is also a new China-only model called the A8 Horch. It measures 5.45 meters long which is 13cm more than the standard version thanks to its longer wheelbase.
Powertrain
The engine lineup of the A8 facelift remains unchanged. The 3.0 TFSI and 4.0 TFSI units are available in various states of tune. Diesel and a plug-in hybrid powertrain are also available. All these engines feature mild-hybrid technology and are linked to an eight-speed Tiptronic gearbox sending power to the Quattro AWD system.