2011 Audi A8 Reviews

The big A8 is Audi's flagship model and competes against the likes of the Benz S-Class and BMW's 7 Series.But it's sportier than the Benz and stands out in a way that the 7 Series never could - a car that for some reason is virtually invisible on the road. The big diesel walks the line between performance and economy, unlike a petrol V8.VALUEDeep breath. It's high end luxury and the asking price is a whopping $234,500, about $80,000 more than we guessed. For the same price you can have the 4.2 FSI petrol model or, if more legroom is required, there's also a long wheelbase version for another $15,000.Standard features include leather, wood, a sunroof, four-zone airconditioning, power operated boot, plus hard drive audio with satellite navigation and a 14-speaker Bose sound system.The thing is even at this price many features remain optional some of which should perhaps be standard like adaptive cruise control at $5400. It's opulent all right but for a high end model, a little light on in the gadget department.DESIGNThe A8 is Audi's technology leader. It's a long 5.137 metres, aluminium bodied to save weight and kitted out with lots of leather and wood trim. Our test vehicle even smelled like it had been freshly polished inside. The front seats are 22-way power adjustable and the ambient strip lighting in the cabin is a real treat at night.SAFETYAs good as it gets with a pre-sense safety system for avoiding accidents and for minimizing their consequences. Comes with all the safety gear you'd expect including six airbags, all-wheel drive, electronic stability control and anti-lock brakes.TECHNOLOGYThe 4.1-litre, not 4.2 twin turbo diesel V8 (it has a capacity of 4134cc) delivers 258kW of power and a massive 800Nm of torque from a low 1750 revs. 0-100km/h takes a surprisingly quick 5.5 seconds and it even sounds like a V8, but doesn't have anywhere near the same appetite for fuel.Claimed fuel consumption is an incredible 7.6 litres/100km, which with a 90 litre tank gives the car a range of 1184km  but the trip computer was showing a more realistic longterm average of 12.8.The V8 is hooked up to a state of the art eight speed auto complete with paddles shifts, with drive to all four wheels via a self-locking centre differential. Despite its size it weighs only 1995kg because of the all-aluminium construction.DRIVEThe all-wheel drive system is biased towards the rear to give the car a sportier feel, with a sports differential that distributes power between the rear wheels for better handling. Feels slower than it is but when the lights go green you'll soon discover yourself 200 metres down the road ahead of everyone else. Even in dynamic mode the adaptive air suspension was a little soft for our liking, but you can add sports suspension for another $2200.It has really annoying brakes that pull you up abruptly but then the car rocks backwards and forwards on its suspension before finally coming to rest.VERDICTOf the big German three we prefer the Audi, but if economy is a priority we'd probably opt for the much cheaper 3.0-litre diesel which also offers plenty of performance. Then of course there's the superlative S8 which we'd buy in heartbeat if we won Lotto.AUDI A8Price: $234,000 (FSI), $188,000 (V6), $234,500 (TDI V8)Engines: 4.2L V8 petrol, 3.0L TDI V6, 4.2L TDI V8)Power: 273kW (FSI), 184kW (V6), 258kW (TDI V8)Torque: 445Nm (FSI), 550Nm (V6), 800Nm (TDI V8)Transmission: 8-speed auto with paddle shiftsEconomy: (l/100km): 9.5 (FSI), 6.6 (V6), 7.6 (TDI V8) CO2 (g/km): 219 (FSI), 176 (V6), 199 (TDI V8)

THE nation's "decision-makers" now have three more luxury saloons to choose from. Audi has added two turbo-diesel A8s to the existing 4.2 FSI petrol V8 model with a long-wheelbase model coming next month.The new flagship is the 4.2 TDI V8, the first V8 diesel in its class. It will be joined by a 3.0 TDI V6. It will be joined by a 3.0 TDI V6. All engine models also now come in a long-wheelbase version.Audi Australia boss Uwe Hagen says these models will make them more competitive."The D segment is really important to us because these are the decision-makers of the country," he says.PRICEThe diesel V8 arrives at the same price of $234,000 as the existing 4.2 FSI V8, providing a tempting choice for decision-makers. The 3.0 TDI V6 is listed at $188,000.A8 product planner Jacqueline Walden says 35 per cent of all Audi sales last year were diesel-powered. She expects the two new diesel models to represent 70 per cent of A8 sales with about 60 per cent of those buyers opting for the flagship."We will have a diesel in every model in our range by the end of the year except the R8," she says.The A8 comes standard with quattro all-wheel drive Audi "drive select" and air suspension. The V8 also gets a sport differential which splits torque between the rear wheels for better drive through corners. It's optional in the V6.The V6 comes with 18-inch alloys, pre-sense safety system, rear camera and parking system, cruise control, MMI satnav, Bluetooth, music interface, metallic or pearl paint, electric adjustable steering column, electric sunroof, Xenon headlights and LED daytime lights.The V8 adds 19-inch alloys, ambient lighting in three colours, adaptive lights that monitor oncoming cars, automatic boot lid, servo-closing doors, Bose sound system, digital TV and sports diff.Key options include LED headlights ($2700), night vision assistant with pedestrian detection ($5400), adaptive cruise with stop and go ($5395), adaptive cruise with lane assist, side assist and pre sense plus ($9080), 1400-watt Bang & Olufsen sound system ($16,950 in the V6 and $14,430 in the V8) and rear seat entertainment screens ($9845).TECHNOLOGYWalden says the TDI technology has a "racing pedigree" from their four diesel-powered Le Mans victories."TDI not only benefits the race track, but also customers," she says. The new turbo-diesel engines are "high-performance, low-consumption, lightweight and compact engines".New to the 3.0 TDI V6 is a stop-start system that switches the engine off when stationary. Walden says this, alone, represents a fuel consumption saving of up to 0.4 per cent. Other fuel-saving technologies in the V6 are an on-demand oil pump, reduced internal friction, thermal management and a recuperation system.The engine weighs 194kg, which is 23kg less than the previous model. Power has been increased 13kW to 184kW and torque is up 100Nm to 550Nm, yet fuel consumption is down 1.4 litres per 100km to 6.6L/100km and CO2 emissions are down 40g/km to 176g/km. But most impressive is the stonking 258kg 4.2 TDI V8 with a walloping 800Nm of torque.Yet Audi claims it sips fuel at 7.6L/100km and emits CO2 at 199g/km. Fuel economy is reduced 6 per cent by the addition of an eight-speed transmission, with shift-by-wire technology.DESIGNThe new A8 arrived last year and these models continue the same Audi style with single-frame grille, V shape bonnet and coupe-like D pillar.It's an attractive, if understated saloon, with an opulent and hi-tech interior. The MMI touchpad infotainment system is a little more complex than before and takes a bit of getting used to. However, the touchpad function helps simplify use and the restyled gear lever actually becomes a handy arm rest when using the touchpad.Underneath is the new Audi spaceframe which is 40 per cent lighter than a conventional steel body.DRIVINGThe national media launch of the A8 took us down narrow country roads west of Melbourne. We marveled at the car's remarkable stability when stepping two wheels off on to the soft dirt shoulder to allow a truck to pass on the narrow bitumen. Then we hit a monster pothole.When we returned to the bitumen, the car immediately felt biased to the left and within a kilometre a warning on the dashboard told us we had a flat tyre. The spare is a space-saver, but thankfully Audi "minders" arrived with a full-size replacement. Owners can't expect that sort of service when they buy the car.The new A8 is a delight to drive and the TDI V8 is an absolute rocketship with acceleration that will pin your ears back and singe your eyebrows. Audi tells us it accelerates to 100km/h in 5.5 seconds.But most importantly for drivers and passengers in this class of car, the diesels don't sound or feel like tractors. They are smooth and quiet, while the V8 has a macho growl at full throttle that could fool most people into thinking it's a petrol engine. They handle like much smaller cars and the sports diff gives them even greater cornering agility.VERDICTAudi's new diesel A8s provide the "decision maker" with a balanced approach to power, economy, environmental concerns and safety.AUDI A8Pricing: $234,000 (FSI), $188,000 (V6), $234,500 (TDI V8)Engines: 4.2L V8 petrol, 3.0L TDI V6, 4.2L TDI V8)Power: 273kW (FSI), 184kW (V6), 258kW (TDI V8)Torque: 445Nm (FSI), 550Nm (V6), 800Nm (TDI V8)Transmission: 8-speed auto with paddle shiftsEconomy (l/100km): 9.5 (FSI), 6.6 (V6), 7.6 (TDI V8)CO2 (g/km): 219 (FSI), 176 (V6), 199 (TDI V8)