Audi A8 bristles with latest technology

The new car is the latest standard bearer for Vorsprung durch Technik which achieves best-in-class economy through advanced technology while also taking on board significant improvements to performance, refinement, comfort and dynamics.

The elegant new flagship of the Audi saloon range is now available to order priced from 54,835 OTR and will reach its first UK customers next month.

Inside the even lighter and 24 per cent more rigid evolution of the aluminium Audi Space Frame forms the skeleton of the new A8 and there are a myriad of new technological advances.

Including fundamentals such as economy and emissions advantages for the significantly reworked V8 FSI and V8 TDI engines that will be the first to arrive in the UK.

The latest 4.2-litre V8 TDI, which I tried, delivers 350PS, up from 326PS and the 4.2-litre V8 FSI delivers 372PS up from 350PS.

The upgraded 4.2-litre FSI benefits from a 13 per cent improvement in fuel economy, taking its combined figure to 29.7mpg and dropping CO2 output to 219g/km, while the equivalent V8 TDI gets a 19 per cent boost to 37.2mpg with CO2 emissions down to 199g/km.

The big seller promises to be the 3.0-litre V6 TDI and it follows closely behind this pair, with first deliveries scheduled for September, and benefits from a 17PS power boost to 250PS.

This version moves to the top of the luxury saloon class in economy terms with a 22 per cent economy hike to 42.8mpg and CO2 of 174g/km. In 2011, an even more economy and emissions-focused version will be added which drives the front wheels only and will combine a 204PS power peak with 47.1mpg economy on the combined cycle and CO2 emissions of just 159g/km.

The petrol range will also be boosted by a new supercharged 3.0-litre TFSI unit, which will dispatch 290PS to the tarmac via the quattro system, enabling a 6.1-second 0-62mph time and 31.0mpg combined economy, equating to 213g/km of CO2.

All of the engines are complemented by recuperation technology which provides further fuel and CO2 savings by recycling a proportion of the wasted kinetic energy.

The A8 3.0 TDI also saves fuel through its engine start-stop function, a feature which is being used more and more by car manufacturers. These enhanced engines are matched by the new eight-speed tiptronic automatic transmission

This advanced transmission can also talk to the new, next generation MMI Touch in-car infotainment system, networking with the detailed route data supplied by its inbuilt navigation system to factor corners into its gearshift strategy and avoid unnecessary, fuel-sapping gear changes.

The state-of-the-art adaptive cruise control and adaptive light swivelling cornering light systems are also influenced by feedback from the navigation unit.

The new touch screen Multi Media Interface, or MMI Touch, can also store audio tracks and telephone data on its sizeable hard disk. To enter a destination or phone number, the driver need only now draw the required letters or numbers with their index finger on the touch screen.

As an option, a GPRS module can also be specified. Fed with news and weather information from the Web by internet service provider Google, it enables A8 drivers to plot detailed routes on a home computer and download them to the navigation system when they start a trip.

The suspension system has been improved by newly developed struts with enlarged air capacity, and is now backed up by the Audi drive select adaptive dynamics system.

The active sport differential which won so much critical acclaim at its debut in the S4 quattro further enhances 4.2 TDI models as standard, and can be added at extra cost for all other models.

Travelling in the new A8 and you are swathed in supple Valcona leather, shielded by double glazing and bathed in soothing LED ambient lighting the interior’s highlights include the Audi Parking System Plus, DAB digital radio, four-zone climate control, Audi Music Interface iPod connection, MMI Touch infotainment incorporating HDD satellite navigation with predictive route technology, cruise control and a keyless go system.

Two specification levels are available to UK A8 customers, SE and SE Executive and the latter adding to this equipment list features such as electrically operated boot closing, the Audi Parking System Advanced with rear parking camera and larger 19-inch wheels in place of the 18-inch design fitted to SE models.

Customers will be able to specify all-LED headlights in place of the standard Xenon set-up, and for even greater opulence five-mode seats with ventilation and massage function, a rear seat entertainment package and a 1,400-watt Bang & Olufsen audio system.

Online connectivity, night vision assist capable of marking out pedestrians, Audi side and lane assist and Audi pre-sense expansion packages will also be available to further enhance this technological tour de force.