Sharpened design and innovative technologies for the flagship: the enhanced Audi A8

Thanks to the enhancement, the exterior of the A8 has an even more representative, confident, and athletic effect. To summarize, the newly designed and precisely orchestrated design elements in the front, side, and rear areas significantly increase the A8’s presence and authority and sharpen the profile of the brand’s top model. Beyond the basic exterior, Audi is offering its customers the chrome exterior package and, for the first time in the A8, the new S line exterior package. The look is even more defined with the additional black appearance package. The color swatch for the A8 includes eleven colors, among them the new metallic district green, firmament blue, Manhattan gray, and ultra blue. New in the Audi A8 are five matte colors – Daytona gray, florette silver, district green, and glacier white.

Digital Matrix LED headlights and OLED rear lights

Comparable with video projectors, the Digital Matrix LED headlights use DMD (digital micromirror device) technology. Each headlight has approximately 1.3 million micromirrors, which disperse the light in tiny pixels and precisely control them. One new function is lane and orientation lights for highways. The enhanced A8 comes with Digital OLED rear lights (OLED = organic light emitting diode) as a standard feature. When ordering the car, there are two rear light signatures to choose from – three with the S8. In conjunction with the assistance systems, the digital OLED rear lights have a proximity indication feature.

Reduction as a design medium

The architecture of the interior is strictly horizontally oriented to emphasize the car’s width. In the dark, the ambient light package plus (standard with Audi design selection and in the S8 elegantly stages the interior and there are reading lights in the rear that use Matrix LED technology.

The range of seats and seat equipment in the enhanced Audi A8 is varied, very comfortable, and radiates the highest degree of authority – especially for the back seats, where many options are available. The relaxation seat in the A8 L is the apex of the program. It offers numerous adjustment options and a footrest on the back of the passenger seat. Passengers can use it to have the bottoms of their feet warmed and massaged to various degrees. The high-quality workmanship underscores the A8 interior’s workshop character.

New solutions: Navigation and Audi connect

MMI Navigation plus is standard in the enhanced Audi A8 series. It is supported by the third generation modular infotainment toolkit (MIB 3). The likewise standard online and Car-2-X services from Audi connect augment the navigation system. They are divided into two packages: Audi connect Navigation & Infotainment and Audi connect Safety & Service with Audi connect Remote & Control.

For modern demands: the new screens in the back

Attractive options are also available for the infotainment hardware. The new screens in the back are tailored to the expectations of today's rear-seat passengers. That means two 10.1 inch displays with full HD resolution attached to the backs of the front seats.

Three packages: the driver assistance systems

There are about 40 driver assistance systems available in the enhanced Audi A8. Some of them – including the Audi pre sense basic and Audi pre sense front safety systems – are standard equipment for the series. Options are clustered into the “Park,” “City,” and “Tour” packages. The assistance package plus consolidates the packages. Features like the night vision assistant and surround view cameras are available separately.

Sovereign and efficient: the engine range

With five motorizations, the enhanced Audi A8 offers customers a wide range of drive systems. From the V6 TFSI and V6 TDI engines, both of which draw their power from three liters of displacement, to the plug-in hybrid drive systems of the TFSI e, the V6 TFSI engine, and electric motors, to the 4.0 TFSI engine. The latter is available for the A8 and the S8 in various output levels. It distributes its four liters of displacement to eight cylinders in a V-assembly and comes equipped with cylinder on demand technology.

The 3.0 TFSI powers the Audi A8 55 TFSI quattro and the A8 L 55 TFSI quattro with 250 kW (340 PS). A variant with 210 kW (286 PS) is available in China. From 1,370 to 4,500 rpm, it pumps 500 Nm of torque into the crankshaft. From a standing start, it reaches 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.6 seconds (L model: 5.7 seconds).

In the version for the A8 models, the 4.0 TFSI generates 338 kW (460 PS) and 660 Nm of torque, which are available between 1,850 and 4,500 1/min. These create very sporty performance: The A8 60 TFSI quattro and the A8 L 60 TFSI quattro both sprint from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.4 seconds. One highlight of the V8 is the cylinder on demand system (COD), which temporarily deactivates four cylinders for moderate driving.

The 3.0 TDI is in the Audi A8 50 TDI quattro and the A8 L 50 TDI quattro. The engine brings 210 kW (286 PS) of power and 600 Nm or torque.

The diesel engine accelerates both the A8 and A8 L from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.9 seconds and on to the electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph), which is uniform across all A8 models.

Two engines, one battery: the Audi A8 with plug-in hybrid drives

The Audi A8 60 TFSI e quattro and the A8 L 60 TFSI e quattro are the plug-in hybrid models (PHEV) in the series. With these, compact electric motors support the 3.0 TFSI. The lithium-ion battery in the rear can now store a net 14.4 kWh (gross: 17.9 kWh) of energy. With 340 kW (462 PS) of system power and 700 Nm of system torque, the Audi A8 60 TFSI e quattro goes from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.9 seconds (A8 and A8 L).

Plug-in hybrid model drivers have four driving modes to choose from. “EV” stands for fully electric driving, “Hybrid” for an efficient combination of both drive system types, and “Hold” for conserving the available electric energy. In “Charge” mode, the combustion engine charges the battery. When charging by cable, the maximum charging capacity with alternating current is 7.4 kW. Customers can use the compact e-tron charging system for that in their garage at home or the mode 3 cable when they are on the road. 

The Audi S8 – inspirational performance in the luxury class

The Audi S8 TFSI quattrois the sporty top model in the series. The biturbo V8 generates 420 kW (571 PS) of power and 800 Nm of torque from 2,050 to 4,500 rpm. Only in the S8 are the predictive active suspension, sport differential, and dynamic all-wheel steering built in ex factory. All the previously mentioned motorizations come with mild hybrid technology (MHEV) as a standard feature, which uses the A8’s 48-volt main electrical system.

tiptronic, quattro and the sport differential: the whole gamut of driving experience

All engines in the Audi A8 are connected to a fast and gently toggling eight-step tiptronic. Thanks to an electric oil pump, the automatic transmission can change gears even when the combustion engine is not running. The constant all-wheel drive quattro with the self-locking center differential is standard, optionally supplemented with the sport differential (standard in the S8 ). It actively distributes torque between the rear wheels during fast cornering and thereby makes the handling even sportier and more stable. The adaptive air suspension with controlled damping is standard. Progressive steering is another standard feature. Dynamic all-wheel steering is also available as an option. It is standard equipment in the Audi S8.

Predictive active suspension

One highlight of the enhanced A8 is the predictive active suspension. It can load or unload each wheel with additional power individually via an electric motor and thereby actively regulate the position of the chassis in any driving situation. The wheel range for the enhanced Audi A8, which goes from 18 to 21 inches, includes six new designs from Audi and Audi Sport. In top versions like the Audi S8, Audi offers carbon fiber ceramic brake disks as an option.

A8 L Horch: special for the Chinese market

The Audi A8 L, the top version for the Chinese market, is 5.45 meters (17.9 ft.) long, which is 13 cm (5.1 in.) longer than the A8 L. In the interior, the expanded diamond quilting, logo embossing in the cushions, and deep-pile floor mats in the back emphasize the exclusivity of this version. On the exterior, the specifically designed Singleframe with vertical braces, among other things, indicate that it is a luxury model. Also unmistakable are the Horch badge and the “H crown.” For the first time in the D segment, the top model is offering a two-color finish for customers in China.

A8 L Security: high level of protection with efficient mild-hybrid technology

Audi armored vehicle customers also benefit from the A8’s product enhancements. Conceived for the particularly high demands of the security field, the A8 L Security is powered by a biturbo V8 with 420 kW (571 PS). The mild hybrid technology (MHEV), which uses the 48-volt main electrical system, provides exceptional efficiency for the armored sedan.

Base price: starting at € 97,800

The enhanced Audi A8 can be ordered in European markets since December 2021. In Germany, the base price for the A8 is now € 97,800. The Audi A8 60 TFSI e quattro is available starting at € 108,950 and the S8 at € 144,800.

You’ll find all of the details about the Audi A8 here.