August 9th 2017
The new fourth-generation Audi A8 made its world debut on July 11th, 2017 at the Audi Summit in Barcelona. This flagship luxury sedan is the first-ever production vehicle designed specifically for highly automated driving. There is a lot to talk about 2018 Audi A8, but we will just scratch the main aspects.
Audi Space Frame Architecture
Underpinning the new Audi A8 is the company’s innovative Space Frame architecture which makes use of ultra-light weight components including aluminum, steel, magnesium and carbon fiber reinforced polymer. Compared to its predecessor models, the new Audi A8’s torsional rigidity has been improved by 24 percent.
Exterior Design
The revolutionary design of the new Audi A8 speaks about the luxury sedan’s opulence and elegance. Up front, it adopts a new single frame grille, sporty front bumper along with new HD Matrix LED headlights with Audi laser lighting. The sharp character lines extended all the way from the hood to the trunk add to the overall muscular persona of the car. At the back, the taillights comprise of LED light strip along with OLED technology.
Interior Comfort
The interior of the fourth-generation Audi A8 is designed more like a lavish lounge. Compared to its predecessors, the overall length of the car has been increased as well improving the cabin space. The regular A8’s wheelbase measures 2,998 millimeters (118.0 in), while the A8 L model measures 3,128 millimeters (123.1 in) boasting a 6 millimeters increase compared to the previous model.
The luxurious leather seats feature massage function and extra-comfortable head restraints. Additionally, the 2018 Audi A8 has an optional relaxation seat, which includes a footrest and multiple adjustment options. A removable OLED display is also located in the rear center armrest, which allows the occupants to control lighting inside the car as well as make phone calls.
Technological Equipment
On the inside, the new Audi A8 offers an array of advanced technological facilities, and the interior adopts a reductive design with minimum number of buttons and switches. The center stack comprises of a 10.1-inch touch screen display and most of the things including the air conditioning system can be easily controlled through this. Moreover, it features voice commands and a phenomenal navigation system, which provides the driver with intelligent search suggestions.
Audi AI Traffic Jam Pilot System
The most important feature in the new 2018 Audi A8 is the ‘Audi AI Traffic Jam Pilot’, offering a certain level of autonomous driving. This cutting-edge technology makes use of radar sensors, a front camera, ultrasonic sensors and laser scanner to enable the A8 to drive autonomously in highway traffic at a speed of up to 60 km/h (37.3 mph). It is activated by an AI button located on the center console allowing the driver to take their hands of the steering wheel permanently. According to the automaker, the driver can focus on more important tasks in the meantime or even enjoy a movie on the on-board television screen inside the A8.
Besides autonomous driving, the Audi AI remote parking pilot and garage pilot technology allows the driver to steer the A8 in and out of the parking or the garage with their smartphone through myAudi app.
Powertrain Specifications
At launch, the Audi A8 will be available in two engine choices; the 3.0 TDI with 286 horsepower and the 3.0 TFSI with 340 horsepower. Later, the automaker will add more engine options including a 4.0 TDI with 435 horsepower and a 4.0 TFSI with 460 horsepower. The range-topping model featuring a 6.0L W12 is also a possibility in future.
Also, Audi will launch the A8 L e-Tron plug-in hybrid model sometime in future, housing a 3.0 TFSI engine along with electric motors and lithium-ion batteries that can be charged with Audi wireless charging facility.
Upgraded Suspension System
The engineers at Audi have also developed a state-of-the-art suspension system for the new 2018 Audi A8, which makes it the most versatile sedan on the road. Titled as the ‘Active Suspension System’, it makes use of the front camera to detect in advance any forthcoming bump on the road and adjusts the suspension accordingly for a smooth drive. It also ensures minimum rolling movements and offers a high stability and optimum handling while maneuvering around tight corners.
Pricing Details
The all-new 2018 Audi A8 is scheduled to hit the dealerships in fall 2017 with price starting from EUR 90,600, while the A8 L will cost EUR 94,100. Pricing details for the GCC markets are not announced yet.
