The
Audi A8 is going to hit the showrooms in India late April or early May 2018.
According to reliable sources, the car will cost upwards of Rs 1.2 crore and
will be imported as a CBU into the country.
The
car is great combination of excellent comfort, superb craftsmanship, strict
lightweight construction and a broad portfolio of high-end technologies. The
car comes with new assistance systems and the innovative Matrix LED headlights.
One outstanding feature of the sedan is its lightweight construction. The
standard-wheelbase A8 3.0 TFSI quattro has a curb weight of just 1,830
kilograms---the lowest value among the competitors with all-wheel drive. The
decisive factor here is the body. An Audi Space Frame (ASF) made almost
entirely of aluminum, it weighs just 231kg, according to a company statement.
The
new Audi A8 currently has two petrol and two diesel engines. These are the
supercharged 3.0 TFSI with 310 hp, the V8 biturbo 4.0 TFSI with 435 hp, the 3.0
TDI with 258 hp and the 4.2 TDI, which produces 385 hp and 850 Nm of torque.
The 4.0 TFSI accelerates the A8 from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds. An eight-speed tiptronic and
quattro drive system is standard in all A8 models.
The
new Audi A8 is 5.14 meters (16.86 ft) long, has a wheelbase of 2.99 meters
(9.81 ft), is 1.95 meters (6.40 ft) wide and 1.46 meters (4.79 ft) tall. The A8
L that is currently sold in India gains an additional 13 centimeters (5.12 in)
in both length and wheelbase. The 520-litre trunk in both variants has been
reconfigured to be even easier to load. Thanks to new noise damping measures,
the already low interior noise level has been reduced even further.
The
A8’s engine hood, the single frame grille and the front bumper have more pronounced
contours, and the headlights have become flatter. The latter are optionally
available with Audi’s innovative Matrix LED technology. With these headlights,
the high-beam comprises 25 small, individual light-emitting diodes per unit
that can be switched on and off or dimmed individually as needed. This enables
the headlight system to react to oncoming or preceding vehicles and blank out
light with great precision while continuing to fully illuminate the rest of the
road.
The
LED lights at the rear of the car have been revised. The exhaust system
terminates in two large, trapezoidal tailpipe tips on each side of the rear
end. Fine chrome strips and high-gloss black window frames round out the
revised design.
Despite
the abundance of functions, the new Audi A8 features an exemplarily clear
operating concept. This includes the MMI control unit with the large rotary
pushbutton. If MMI navigation plus is on board, the system also includes a
touchpad. The driver can enter characters via the MMI touch to control numerous
navigation and multimedia functions.
The
technology module Audi connect including car phone complements MMI navigation
plus and connects the sedan to the Internet. Passengers can surf and e-mail
freely on their mobile devices using the Wi-Fi hotspot, while the driver can
benefit from tailored online Audi connect services delivered to the car.
Source: Audi / Inputs Motown India /
Photograph courtesy Audi