Audi hasn’t wasted any time with its mid-term update for the A8, which arrives just a few months after the launch of the new Mercedes-Benz S-class. In an effort to keep its flagship sedan competitive, Audi has given the A8 upgraded powertrains, more equipment, and a fresh new look.
Believe it or not, the brand’s trademark "Singleframe grille" has gotten smaller. The unit’s height has diminished, now sporting seven horizontal blades rather than eight, but it does hang over a singular lower air intake that stretches across the width of the car—except for the S8, which keeps its pair of intakes. The headlights feature a new, less aggressive contour, and, in Europe, customers get their choice of xenon, LED, or Matrix LED headlights—the latter's high beam is emitted from 25 single diodes on each side, which are individually dimmed or switched off to avoid blinding drivers in oncoming vehicles. (Unfortunately, because of 1960s legislature banning active headlamps, those Matrix LEDs won’t be coming to America.) The taillights are restyled as well; they’re now connected by a horizontal strip of chrome.
The A8 W12 is less differentiated from lower-grade A8s than before, and, of more importance, it doesn't receive any engine upgrades. The naturally aspirated 6.3-liter W-12 remains unchanged, still churning out 500 horsepower—and in terms of torque, it can't hold a candle to the twin-turbo 12-cylinder units from BMW and Mercedes. While the W12 continues atop the A8 hierarchy, performance enthusiasts likely will opt for the S8 anyway—its 520-hp, 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 carries over unchanged, too.
The supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 jumps from 290 horsepower to 310 in European specification, and we expect that its 333-hp rating stateside will remain. Europe’s non-S twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 gets a bump in power from 420 to 435 horses, a change that is likely to be mirrored in this market. And the 3.0-liter V-6 TDI, rated at 240 horsepower in the U.S., now makes 258 horsepower.
Every A8, except for the not-for-American-consumption hybrid, comes with all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic as standard. And all versions of the A8—again, with the exception of the hybrid—can reach a governed top speed of 155 mph. (Well, in Europe, anyway; U.S.-market A8s, bar the S8, currently are limited to a slightly bizarre 130 mph.) We’re hopeful Audi will reconsider such an odd limit when the updated model comes to market.
Apart from the updated powertrain and looks, there's not a whole lot that’s new with the A8. Audi says that the trunk now is easier to load, there’s an Active Lane Assist that grabs the steering wheel to correct your driving should you meander into other lanes, and a self-parking function. Oh, and, just as has been recently added to the new S-class lineup and available in a number of BMWs for some time, the A8 will be available with a head-up display.
Audi says the upgraded A8 will be available in the U.S. "at some point," likely as a 2015 model. There is no definite word yet from Audi of America on the powertrain choices and the availability of goodies, apart from those trick Matrix LEDs, of course. U.S.-specific details should be available closer to the car’s on-sale date.
