Audi unveils new tech-infested A8 to arrive in SA next year

Right after countless teasers on the internet, Audi has finally taken the wraps off its fourth-generation flagship A8 model at the Audi Summit in Barcelona.

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Well, until we see it in the flesh and certainly get behind its wheel, it remains to be seen if it’s really the answer to the German’s fellow flagship models.

Available in two body styles, the A8 is 5.17 metres for the standard version and 13 centimetres in the longer wheelbase. Like most of its counterparts, the luxury sedan managed to shed some weight and thus maintain that flagship appeal.

Starting from the outside, the A8 features HD Matrix LED headlights with Audi laser lighting, and LED light strip combined with OLED technology rear lights.

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Step inside and you’re greeted by a spacious lounge. Audi claims this new model has grown in length in both body version and that has resulted in plenty of interior space compared to its predecessor.

Magic inside the A8 happens on the rear right passenger seat. The optional relaxation seat in the A8 L comes with four different adjustment options and a footrest. In this seat, the passenger can warm and massage the soles of their feet on a unit with multiple settings incorporated into the back of the front-passenger seat.

Rear passengers can also enjoy a range of functions such as ambient lighting, new HD Matrix reading lights and seat massage, plus make private phone calls via a separate operating unit.

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Something similar to what we have seen in BMW’s 7 Series, the rear-seat remote, with its OLED display as large as a smartphone, is a removable unit housed in the centre armrest.

According to Audi, with a touch of the Al button on the centre console, the new A8 will drive itself via what is called the AI traffic jam pilot that enables the sedan to drive itself in slow-moving traffic at up to 60 km/h on freeways and highways, where a physical barrier separates the two carriageways.

The traffic jam pilot manages starting, accelerating, steering and braking. The driver no longer needs to monitor the car permanently.

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They can take their hands off the steering wheel permanently and, depending on the national laws, focus on a different activity that is supported by the car, such as watching the on-board TV.

As soon as the system reaches its limits, it calls on the driver to take back control of the task of driving.

In terms of what powers the luxury sedan, we still have no word on what’s coming to SA, but (for German customers) there are two turbo engines available, a 3.0 TDI 210kW and a 3.0 TFSI 250kW.

Audi says two eight-cylinder versions – a 4.0 TDI with 320 kW and a 4.0 TFSI with 338 kW will follow slightly later.

The exclusive top engine that seeks to challenge the newly launched BMW 760Li xDrive V12 is the W12 6.0 A8 which Audi still remains silent about its availability.

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Audi SA confirms that the new A8 will land on our shores in the second half of 2018, with pricing and further specifications to be announced prior to local launch.