Audi A8 pushes the boundaries of what is possible

"The level of equipment as standard is amazing" - Bob Hickman reviews the Audi A8:

Audi have announced that within the not-too-distant future there will be 42 models of the brand for the more discerning purchaser to choose.

They seem to be in a situation where, because they can they will.

They have obviously thought for a long, long time and are determined to become an even more exclusive brand.

I suppose it is difficult for them, it is like being one of several siblings and being the last to arrive on the scene, you are always trying to emulate and catch up or prove you are as good or better than the rest.

When I think of premium brands, if we exclude Bentley and Rolls Royce and of course anything American or Italian, I automatically think Mercedes, BMW and possibly Jaguar, but in recent times Audi have made huge inroads in to this market.

As a brand they are determined to be in the premier league and they are announcing their intentions with the arrival of the all-new A8.

I say they do things because they can, you only have to look at the Le Mans 24 hour race, the technology was there to take a diesel to Le Mans, and Audi did it successfully.

I think with the all-new A8 they are further pushing the boundaries of proving just what is possible within a mechanical package.

Audi want to prove that they deserve a place in the premium sector.

They are selling cars to the high end of the market. I will never be able to aspire to an A8 vehicle unless I win the lottery and that is doubtful as I don't do it, but these are vehicles that will be costing up to £100,000 with the various options.

In fact the test vehicle which I had the privilege to drive was priced, with the extras, at £95,000.

Proving a point

Audi are proving a point, they suggest that people who are looking to buy A8s, buy them because they want to, not because they need to.

They may already have several other vehicles in the stable but they know that the A8 will be a vehicle for the discerning buyer, which will do absolutely everything that you could ever desire in comfort and superb luxury, but also with a degree of technical refinement previously unsurpassed by any manufacturer.

The A8 without doubt will be the pinnacle of manufacturing and desirability for the Audi brand, and having spent over £1.7 billion in its development, I suppose it should be.

It is refreshing to note that the A8 is a new vehicle, it is not just a re-worked previous model.

It has a complete new frame and new chassis, it is much lighter and stronger than its predecessor, and it goes without saying in keeping with current practices, it is both longer, wider, and bigger than the vehicle it replaces.

This is translated into even more interior space for all occupants in what was already a very roomy car, but more importantly, it is far more economical to run.

It is as you would expect in this era, a much greener car.

Initially the engine choices will be between 4.2-litre V8 diesel and petrol. However, a V6 3.0-litre diesel will arrive very soon and I am confident this will be a major player in the range.

The level of equipment as standard is amazing, you really do need to pop down to an Audi garage just to admire the quality and the amount of fittings that are included within the vehicle as a standard package.

For example, leather seats that have a memory system which enables the electrically-operated adjustment to remember your settings; and clever Bluetooth satnav system.

I particularly like the fact that the A8 has a permanent four-wheel-drive system, which is a little unusual in a large luxury saloon.

I suppose I could argue that the money the A8 is going to cost, I would expect absolutely everything, but of course Audi being Audi that is not the case and the list of extras and their costs is eye-watering.

Bewildering

The level of technology that Audi have incorporated into the A8 is not just outstanding but on occasions bewildering in its complexity.

The gearbox is an eight-speed automatic system, it is a fly-by-wire system, you just tap the gear lever or select drive and it will do the work for you.

This in itself is over-simplifying matters.

The Audi boffins have enabled the eight-speed box to communicate with the navigation system, this allows the system and various other sensing devices to detect where the vehicle is at any given time, what the wheels are doing, what performance is required and this dictates to the gearbox what and how it will perform.

For example. if you are approaching a bend, the vehicle will detect this because of the various movements in suspension and wheels, and it will not allow the gearbox to change gear because this would not be an acceptable thing to do.

The system will also adjust the lights. If you take the vehicle on to the continent, the vehicle will recognise immediately that you are driving on the other side of the road and adjusts the lights accordingly.

Safety features abound, the vehicle will detect that you are sadly going to be involved in an accident and will immediately close windows and shut sunroofs, tighten seatbelts, activate hazard lights.

Safety first

It is amazing what safety features are included and incorporated on this vehicle.

Whilst conceding that the A8 is a large and powerful vehicle, the driving perspective is of being in a vehicle that had been honed to give a marvellous driving sensation.

I was concerned that with all the electronic devices fitted that the vehicle would be clinical and somewhat sterile to drive, this did not prove to be the case.

It was a totally relaxing, reassuring drive in comfort mode, but dial into the system the dynamic mode and the suspension tightens up, the throttle response is more urgent and the persona of the vehicle changes.

Me, I prefer the comfort mode.

With about 350bhp and 800nm of torque, performance was never going to be an issue or a disappointment from my 4.2-litre V8 S Exec test model, top speed is limited to 155mph and 62mph is reached in a mere 5.5 seconds, economy is not too bad at 37.2 mpg.

The build quality and finish, is, as you would expect from Audi and a car this expensive, superb.

I loved the double-glazed windows, which effectively shut out the outside world noise without of course being a safety hazard.

Prices for the new A8 start at £54,835; they all benefit from a three-year 60,000 mile warranty and will require a service every two years or 19,000 miles.