Audi A8 4.2 FSI 2010 Review

Audi A8 4.2 FSI

What we liked
>> Opulent interior
>> Intuitive technology
>> Ultra-smooth ride quality

Not so much
>> Exterior design
>> Adaptive cruise an option

About our ratings

OVERVIEW
-- A new era?
Decked out with the sort of premium materials usually found on a luxury yacht, and boasting more technology than any other car in the Audi garage, the new A8 has just been launched in Australia.

Not just Audi's luxury flagship, the A8 is also its technology lighthouse (to use an Audi phrase). It spruiks a night vision system complete with thermal imaging for safer driving after dark, a hand-writing recognition pad for entering satnav details on the move, and more cameras, sensors and detection devices than Fort Knox. In technology terms, the new A8 means business.

Designed from the ground up to impress, finery abounds; the whole shebang is wrapped up a conservative but imposing suit. A new 3D take on the single-frame grille hints at Audi's (slowly) evolving design DNA.

Audi Australia's new chief, Uwe Hagen, explains that the new fourth generation A8 is for drivers "who want an exclusive car." He calls the new model a trend-setting vehicle that will be "our new starting point for a huge model offensive".

In essence, this is the beginning of a new era at Audi; eventually the advanced hand-writing recognition touch-pads, LED headlights and other features will be de rigueur on almost all models, even the volume-selling A4.

The German prestige marque has always had its eye on the number one spot; its desire to dethrone Benz and BMW as the top selling luxury car makers has hit overdrive with a slew of new models on their way, but will such desire translate into sales success for the A8?

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
-- More doodads for your Deutschmark
Priced at $225,904 (before on-road costs are added), the new Audi A8 4.2 FSI is almost $20K more than its $206,600 predecessor. But as Audi explained, the new model is a cut above precursor, kitted out with enough technology to make MI6 agents jealous.

Standard features on the Australian delivery A8 4.2 FSI include the new generation MMI satellite navigation system with advanced handwriting recognition touch pad, 22-way electrically adjustable front seats, an integrated digital TV and surround sound 14-speaker BOSE audio system, 60Gb hard drive, leather upholstery, electric sunroof and quad zone deluxe automatic air-conditioning.

Speed dependent power steering, auto headlights and windscreen wipers, LED daytime running lights, Audi pre-sense safety suite, adaptive xenon headlights, an eight-speed gearbox, 19-inch wheels and self-dimming mirrors are also standard.

Interestingly, the Australian market Audi A8 gets a higher level of specification than the European models, chiefly because Australian luxury buyers expect more. Features such as servo closing doors, an electrically operated boot, larger wheels, the MMI touch pad and integrated digital TV are options in Europe, but standard issue here.

Like any self-respecting premium car there are options aplenty, including a few noteworthy items that until now have been only available from its rivals. Night vision is now offered ($5400) and includes a pair of cameras located in nacelles where the fog lights normally reside. However unlike the BMW and Mercedes-Benz night vision systems, the Audi gizmo features thermal optics, so it can more easily identify pedestrians (or animals) via their body heat. We only drove the car during the day, but the system clearly highlighted warm exhaust pipes in red, suggesting the system is very sensitive and should be very effective at night.

Another big ticket option is a range-topping Bang & Olufsen stereo, a 19-speaker setup (complete with dash-mounted retracting tweeters) outputting more than 1400 watts ($14,430). Front seats with heating and cooling ventilation and a massage feature ($5500) and Sports seats ($1075) are also offered.

Adaptive cruise control with Stop & Go function ($5395) is also an option, as is lane assist/side assist combination ($3500). The entire suite of driving assistance systems including all of the above and the pre sense 'plus' safety system is also offered as a single upgrade ($9080).

Though there are too many options to mention in this sitting, it's worth mentioning the full LED headlight system ($2700) which includes high beams, because none of the A8's rivals offer such technology.

Audi has been selling around 80 or so A8s per annum, but predicts it will find around 75 buyers before the end of 2010, and will be looking to nearly double the annual sales rate to 150 units. A fuel efficient 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel variant will arrive in November, which should further increase the new model's appeal.

At this stage Audi Australia is not planning to sell the 4.2 TDI V8 oiler Down Under. That's a shame given the competence the car exhibited when driven at the A8's international launch in Spain in February.

PACKAGING

The 22-way adjustable front seats are excellent and easy to operate which makes finding a comfortable driving position fairly painless. The seats are suitably plush, finished with good quality leather -- Audi offers three grades should customers want even softer, more opulent upholstery. Conveniently the seat's 22-way adjustable settings are accessed via the visual cues that appear on the large central LCD screen that emerges from the dash. Getting comfortable has never been easier.

The new MMI system is another standout feature, arguably the most intuitive of any infotainment system in any prestige car to date. It features the obligatory menu dial and context-sensitive quartet of buttons surrounding it, but the addition of the touchpad and an icon-based menu system further simplifies inputs. With so much technology hidden beneath its leather-shod dashboard, it's nice that accessing it is never daunting.

From the moment you step into the A8, it's abundantly clear that Audi has thought long and hard about how to best serve occupants. While the attention to detail and premium quality materials employed provide the car with supreme levels of tactile luxury, it's also the little things that work well. Storage spaces are numerous and easily accessible to the driver, so mobile phones, PDAs, beverages and security cards will always have a place to live.

The new MMI (multi-media interface) is easier -- and more enjoyable -- to use than previous versions, the touchpad and intuitive on-screen icons being standout features.

"Above luxury, beyond progressive" is one of the catch-cries Audi has trotted out for the A8, and while somewhat pretentious it actually starts to make a bit of sense after spending a day in the car. It really is an impeccably refined automobile.

For more detailed descriptions on the interior packaging, check out our first drive of the Audi A8 at the link above.

MECHANICAL
-- Less weight, more grip
Utilising the latest Audi spaceframe (ASF) aluminium chassis technology, the new A8 is not overly heavy for a premium large car (relatively speaking), tipping scales at around 1835kg -- more than 100kg lighter than direct competitors from Benz and BMW.

At the heart of the new A8 is the 4.2-litre V8, or 4.2 FSI to use Audi naming conventions. This four-valve engine features direct injection to maximise power output from a relatively modest block displacement; it cranks out 273kW/445Nm.

It'll sprint from zero to 100km/h in 5.7 seconds and thanks to an eight-speed tiptronic gearbox and some savvy ECU tuning it can still return decent fuel figures.

We recorded a fuel consumption figure of 12.3L/100km over a 220km stretch of driving at the launch in Far North Queensland (which included about 30 minutes of very spirited driving), which isn't as low as the claimed 9.5L/100km but is still a competitive figure considering the workout the car received.

SAFETY
>> More tech, but it'll cost you
On top of eight airbags, ESP, traction control, quattro all-wheel drive and ABS, the Audi A8 features a number of driving aids to help keep you well-informed and out of trouble, though most of which are optional.

There's a lane departure and blind spot detection system, adaptive cruise control that uses radar to maintain a safe distance between the car ahead, and three levels of Audi's new pre sense system, the most comprehensive of which ties all the above systems together to form a one overarching pro-active driver aid. It can automatically brake the car if it detects an imminent collision.

The aforementioned night vision system is another boon for the safety conscious.

COMPETITORS
-- Two old guards and one new
The Audi A8 has always been a rival for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series, where it outsells the latter in Germany. But in Australia it's a very different story. Here the A8 has never challenged its rivals in the upper echelons of the prestige car market. Now the company thinks that the new fourth generation has the substance to make more of an impact in this market.

There have been criticisms that the new A8 looks too much like Audi's bread and butter model which could gift its rivals with an easier run. But one senior Audi executive put it this way: "I would actually say the A4 looks like an A8. You want to have a certain level of recognition between our models, and yes, you could have gone completely radical with the A8, but we have a very clear strategy. It's a three-box sedan design, and if you want something radical you would look at the new A7."

The new Jaguar XJ is also a rival for the Audi A8, and is offered at a lower price, but at this end of the market that can sometimes be seen as a negative.

Lexus also has premium flagship car, the LS460, but with less pedigree and without the attention to details of the Audi, it's almost in a different class.

ON THE ROAD

First impressions are good; throttle response is prompt but not overly sharp and the ride quality is very good when set to comfort mode, particularly considering our test car was riding on 20-inch alloy wheels with sports-biased tyres.

We encountered roadworks near Cairns during the launch drive, exhibiting less than perfect road surfacing, but you wouldn't know it in the A8. It could almost be accused of being too supple, but thankfully the adaptive air suspension that's fitted as standard can be set to auto or dynamic for a more responsive ride and sharper handling.

The steering is a touch vague at slower speeds but has a certain weight to it that makes it feel substantial, as though you're actually turning the wheels and not just sending electronic signals to the car's complex computer brain.

Slap the 'yacht-thruster' inspired gear lever into 'sports' mode and flex your right foot and the A8 reveals a very different -- and confident -- character. The engine could use more torque (any spare superchargers from the S5?) but it's remarkably tractable at low revs. However it's not until the tachometer needles passes 5000rpm that the engine truly begins to inspire, offering a muted rumble that is felt more than heard.

Normally quiet and smooth, the A8's 4.2-litre engine shows real spirit, happy to rev until around 7000rpm -- these long legs giving it plenty of scope to overtake without having to snatch another gear.

Taking the 'scenic' route to the Atherton Tablelands south of Cairns, we had a good chance to see just how dynamic the big Audi is. As it turns out, very dynamic...

The steering feels good at high velocities and the harder you drive the A8, it seems, the better it responds. The brakes offer excellent deceleration and are very reassuring as a result, while the eight-speed gearbox is similarly impressive -- so much so that the steering wheel paddles are rarely needed, such is the briskness of gear changes.

Of course there is a grip limit to be found, which we approached once or twice, but the quattro all-wheel-drive system develops so much traction that you really hustle the car through corners. The all-wheel drive setup has a 40:60 front-to-rear bias in normal driving conditions but can shunt up to 85 per cent of engine torque to the rear of the car, which ensures that understeer kept to a minimum.

Together with the quattro Sports differential, which apportions torque between the rear wheels, the Audi demonstrates just how capable its all-paw system can be in a large, relative heavy car.

Turn-in is remarkably good for a car of this size, the front end feeling far lighter and more nimble than it should. Even when the car wants to push wide you simply dial in some more lock, ignore the momentary tyre squeal and apply more throttle. Not only quick point-to-point, the big Audi is rewarding to drive.

The air suspension isn't perfect, and does allow some body roll to creep in when navigating tight corners, but it does an excellent job of ensuring the Audi A8 can be both luxury limousine and hot-blooded corner carver.

The ability to select three set modes, and even a fourth user definable suspension mode, gives the car enormous flexibility and together with its quattro driveline ensures the vehicle will be pitched to a slightly different customers than its rivals, a customer who perhaps relishes the journey as much as the destination.

Audi has created an intuitive control layout; everything's within easy reach of the driver, including the MMI's new touchpad. With inbuilt handwriting recognition (you don't have to 'teach' it to read your freehand) the satellite navigation system works well. As a right-handed driver who used his left hand to enter letters, the system still deciphered sloppy lettering. Fuzzy logic is a wonderful thing.

You needn't look at the screen at any time to either, as the MMI system will speak out the letter you have written on the touchpad and ask you to confirm with a second tap on the pad. We used it while driving, with eyes on the road, and it worked a treat.

Audi claims that it makes using the navigation systems safer as drivers can focus on the road, but it fails to mention that most other satnav systems lock out input when the car is in motion for this very reason.

On top of the MMI main screen that rises phoenix-like out of the centre of the dashboard, there's another large colour screen located between the tacho and speedo, which displays detailed satellite navigation details and also the night vision.

Though Audi's claim of creating a flagship technology leader is debatable (it's ostensibly just caught up to its rivals, the touchpad the only true innovation) the German marque has delivered a car that is both a pleasure to drive both gently and with intensity.

If this is the beginning of a new era at Audi, Ingolstadt's future just got a little brighter.

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