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8 Reasons Why the New Audi A8 is the Future of the Luxury Class

Published Date: 22 Jul 2017 10:00

The flagship vehicle of Audi, the brand new A8 is extremely prestigious and offers an atmosphere of elite comfort

We will see the new flagship of the Audi range, the all new A8, come out in 2018. This A8 is all set to become the world’s first production automobile to come with highly automated driving functions. And all this was demonstrated recently at the Audi Summit at Barcelona.

1. Progressive and Sporty Exteriors

The A8 has always been the mark of sophistication. The new design also adds a sporty elegance with the single frame grille and the fluid, muscular body. This car is completely based on the 2014 Audi prologue design study which was spearheaded by Marc Lichte, the head of design at Audi. The new A8 comes in two variants, the 5.17-meter standard version and the long wheelbase A8L which is 13 centimeters longer. The car has a fine-looking all LED light strip signature on the tail with OLED technology rear lights and Audi laser lighting for the headlamps. These lights are programmed to produce animations whenever the driver approaches or leaves the car.

2. Interiors feel like Sitting in the Lap of Luxury

The new A8 is a more spacious version of its predecessor and resembles of a spacious lounge from the inside. The rear seats are fitted with adjustment options and the rear right also comes with a footrest and both back and foot massage options. The rear center armrest is equipped with an OLED display remote control which can also double up as a mobile device when the mobile is connected to the Bluetooth in the car. This rear touch screen controller also replicates all the features of the front touchscreen for the rider. The car also comes with an interior fragrance atomizer. Experts have combined the finest perfumes to create a special summer fragrance and a version for colder days which can be used internally with just a push of a button.

3. The all new Organic Touch Screen Control

The new generation of the A8 is on purpose free from all rotary pushbuttons and touchpads of the previous versions and in place has a 10.1-inch touchscreen display. The controls and the touch-screen carry an all-black glossy look. Whenever a function is activated by the driver, both the screen and the glass-look operating buttons are programmed to produce a click sound to confirm the action bringing the panel to life.

4. Smartness & Entertainment Straight from the Cloud

If the super sweet and sensitive touch screen was not enough, the new A8 has an array of voice controlled functions and can engage in intelligent conversations. Guess the race for voice assistants is not only limited to Apple, Google and Amazon. The innovative car-to-X services that draw on the swarm intelligence of the Audi fleet ensures road safety and enhances comfort. Media and destination information is either available on board and if not then can be downloaded directly from the cloud at LTE speeds.

5. Pilot driving, a First in any Production Automobile

The new A8 comes with a parking pilot, garage pilot and a traffic jam pilot. The system can be activated by using the AI button on the center console. The traffic jam pilot can operate till a speed of 60 km/h and if the system is reaching its limit it urges the driver to resume manual control of the vehicle. For the parking or the garage pilot to operate, the driver need not even be sitting in the car. The driver can watch a live display and control everything through the myAudi app.

6. Artificially Intelligent Active Suspension

The A8 comes with a fully active suspension system. The front camera reads the road surface much as you do while driving, recognises irregularities on the road surface and the inbuilt system basis of what the camera reads informs the active suspension on what to expect. The suspension in turn adjusts itself resulting in a remarkably smooth and safe ride. The active suspension also reduces body roll under cornering, dive under braking and squat under acceleration.

7. Dynamic all Wheel Steering

Yes, you read that right. The Quattro permanent all-wheel drive is now standard in the new A8. The all wheel steering provides the car with unshakeable stability even at higher speeds. This magic happens with the rear wheels turning in or against the direction of the steering depending on the speed of the vehicle. And at the same time the differential ratio for the front wheels also varies as a function of the speed.

8. Heart of this Sedan

Since the vehicles are not on sale yet, they do not yet have type approval and are therefore not subject to Directive 1999/94/EC. Audi has plans to launch 5 variants of the A8 over time, starting with two V6 turbo engine variants. A 3.0 TDI diesel engine with 210 kW / 286 hp and a 3.0 TFSI gasoline engine with 250 kW / 340 hp for the German market. This is expected to be followed by two eight-cylinder versions – a 4.0 TDI with 320 kW / 435 hp and a 4.0 TFSI with 338 kW /460 hp. A 6.0 liter W12 is expected to be the exclusive top engine version. A 48-volt electrical system is fitted as the primary electrical system in all model versions of the A8.

The starting price for the A8 is EUR 90,600, with the A8 L starting at EUR 94,100 in Germany.

For more information, visit www.audi-mediacenter.com/de/pressemappen/audi-a8.

Mehtab Ahluwalia

M is managing enterprise sales business for a software major during the day and has a penchant for panache. Well-travelled, well-read and bringing imagination to life through his lens and pen is what he often indulges in. Follow him on Facebook or Instagram.