Audi’s first Indian car is a huge luxury limousine, cut-throat rival to the Mercedes S-class. An excellent car, it does very well in Europe, but will the better-known Merc badge beat it in India?:
Supremely elegant, the understated and very modern-looking A8 is one of the most beautiful cars in the world. As if sculpted out of a solid block of metal, the A8 grabs attention and is truly imposing in the flesh. Clean of line and high waisted, with a tight-fitting roof on spread-out, massive wheels, this limo has a stately air about it. High-mounted, rectangular headlamp clusters, a matching rectangular grille and a high cowl are other design characteristics that make it look all the more imposing.
Designed to look like it weighs five tonnes, the A8 is actually a relative lightweight, being built entirely out of aluminium. It's a technological marvel as well. It uses Audi‘s high-tech Quattro four-wheel-drive system, and the car rides on adaptive air suspension, with adjustable ride height. There is plenty of safety equipment, the suspension arms are made of aluminium and the handbrake has been replaced with an electronic one, a switch that disengages automatically when you drive off. The version sold here is the long-wheelbase A8L.
The cabin, also simple and elegant, is a masterpiece. It is superbly built and finished, with premium materials. The front seats are highly adjustable, with vast legroom at the rear, and although the cushioning is firm, the seats, both front and rear, are very comfortable.
The Multi-Media Interface or MMI system, which uses a screen and controller for auxiliary functions instead of a thousand buttons, works beautifully. Refinement is exceptional, better even than the S-class.
The A8 is powered by a rumbling, 4.2-litre V8 that makes a very useful 335bhp. More sports-sedan than limo when aroused, the V8 takes on a sonorous note as the needle whips past the 3500rpm mark. Lots of torque and horses coupled to an eager six-speed ZF gearbox mean express pace. Plonk the six-speed auto into ‘S’ for sport, pump the right pedal and the A8 claws forward at an astonishing rate. All four wheels bite and the five-plus-metre-long car leaps forward.
The A8 is one of the sportier luxury cars, with a slightly firmer ride than the S-class but superior handling and awesome stability. You always know it’s a big car, but with great grip and keen steering, it handles very enthusiastically. Suspension automatically hunkered down to its lowest setting, variable steering ratio having slowed down, the A8 is a delight even at speeds above 200kph.
The A8 is one of the very best cars in the world, a sportier, more personal and, unbelievably, better quality alternative to the S-class. At Rs 64 lakh, it is very expensive, more so than even the S-class, but what really hampers it is the small dealer network, and a badge on its nose that very few recognise. Servicing will be expensive, too.
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