Audi A8 and S8 2014 Review

These are just a few of the changes that signal the mid-life upgrade for the range-topping Audi sedan, which arrives in the local market not long after the W222 Mercedes S-Class – and many consider the car from Stuttgart to be unimpeachable in the segment.

The Audi range, including the petrol S8, is not to be dismissed easily, however. It's one of just two vehicles in its market segment – the other being Jaguar XJ – to offer lightweight construction. And the Audi also offers Aussie buyers all-wheel drive ('quattro') traction. Both contribute to the 0-100km/h time of 4.1 seconds for the S8.

Audi Australia arranged a drive of the new A8 last week, around Bathurst and Lithgow, west of Sydney. The home-turf drive program provided a rare chance to assess a car like the A8 properly. On the open country roads the A8 and S8 were both quiet and composed – with tyres and cabin soaking up the road noise very well indeed at 100km/h. The ZF transmission and all three powerplants (diesel V6, diesel V8, petrol V8) were extremely refined and there was none of the standard labouring vibration often experienced in larger-displacement diesel engines. The diesel V6 was not only subdued at idle, it was gentle whether automatically restarting or shutting down, to save fuel.

Both V8 engines delivered startling performance, but the S8's twin-turbo petrol unit was quite the revelation: mild-mannered to a fault... until you dropped the hammer. Fuel consumption figures varied, with the four models sampled over different stretches of road. The short-wheelbase 3.0-litre diesel A8 returned a figure of 7.8L/100km, according to the trip computer. Slightly longer in the wheelbase, the A8 L used 8.1L/100km. In the S8 we saw a healthy figure of 9.9L/100km, but didn't get a number for the diesel V8 variant.

In any Audi Drive Select mode the S8 turned in faster than the diesel variants and provided extra body control not apparent to the same degree in the A8 variants. That's not to say that the diesels were haplessly poor handling and riding cars. They definitely weren't. In fact the A8 models felt extremely composed in any mode (ever so slightly harsher in the ride department when set to Dynamic) and were impressively tidy and precise in the bends.

Even Audi's often scorned electric power steering – making its first appearance in the revised A8 and S8 – kept the driver adequately informed of what was happening where the front wheels met the bitumen. Particularly in the case of the S8, front-end grip was better than expected and the cars negotiated corners and bends in a neutral stance with the power off. Apply the power at the right time and the big Audis exited corners with real poise. On that point, turbo lag was negligible too.

Audi engineers have made a few changes to the outward look of the A8, but there was nothing much happening inside. The LED displays for engine temp and fuel gauge are still as they were – with glare from direct sunlight rendering them ineffectual, as I have complained in the past. The dash and fascia array was confronting at first, with plenty of buttons to push and different screens to view and functions to comprehend. But then it was clear this was very much the same setup as the pre-facelift model; even down to the handwriting recognition facility that I can't see anyone ever using, unless they're a left-handed tech savant. Nor has Audi seen fit to ditch the peanut-like grip for the T-bar shifter, which is much like the Chrysler 300's – and equally unimpressive.

In the typical Audi way, the A8 and S8 are trimmed and styled for a modern ambience with a hint of sportiness. In contrast the new Benz S-Class boasts an interior design and materials more likely to be found in a gentleman's club.

At the helm of the A8 and S8, the seats offer plenty of comfort and adjustment to suit different physiques. I personally found rear-seat accommodation spot-on in the short-wheelbase variants, but my co-driver for the program is taller and definitely preferred the long-wheelbase A8 for its added legroom. In the past I have noted that the A8 lacks legroom when measured up against even Jaguar's XJ model. Compensating for that is the A8's 520-litre boot, which is huge and very practical, benefiting from changes to make it easier to load.

Audi has restyled the A8 and S8, but the changes are subtle, limited largely to the bonnet, single-frame grille and bumpers. Despite that, the styling remains 'familial'. It's hard to distinguish A8 and S8 from other Audi models when viewed from front or behind.

There was no opportunity to test the Matrix beam LED headlights ($2200 for the 3.0-litre cars, standard for the V8s), but Audi claims they are a step ahead of Benz's electro/mechanical system in the E- and S-Class. Where the beam of individual LEDs is electro-mechanically redirected in the Benz system, the Audi cuts charge or electrically dims each LED as required. Ingolstadt claims their system works better and more responsively than Stuttgart's.

From what I've seen, it's a good system, but is it enough to keep the A8 fresh and relevant through to its next major model change?

Audi A8 3.0 TDI & A8 L 3.0 TDI pricing and specifications:
Price: $195,000 (3.0 TDI), $206,900 (A8 L 3.0 TDI) (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 190kW/580Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 5.9L/100km (3.0 TDI), 6.0 (A8 L 3.0TDI) (ADR Combined)
CO2: 155g/km (3.0 TDI), 158g/km (A8 L 3.0TDI) (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: TBA

Audi A8 4.2 TDI pricing and specifications:
Price: $249,900 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 4.2-litre eight-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 283kW/850Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 194g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: TBA

Audi S8 4.0 TFSI pricing and specifications:
Price: $279,900 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 4.0-litre eight-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 382kW/650Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 9.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 225g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: TBA