Audi has announced details and released pictures of the all-new 2010 A8 flagship sedan. Audi South Africa will launch the new A8 – codenamed D4 – sometime in 2010, probably in the third quarter. For now let’s look at some specifications and technologies the car employs.
Engines have been upgraded. At the bottom of the list, for now, is a 3.0 V6 TDI making 150kW. It’s followed by a more specced up version of the same engine kicking out 184kW and 550Nm of torque. C02 emissions for the two are 159g/km and 174g/km respectively. The more potent 4.2 V8 TDI makes do with 257kW and a massive 800Nm. So far the only petrol model announced is the 4.2 V8 with 274kW and 445Nm of torque. A rumoured “baseline” model with a 155kW 2.0TFSI has been spoken about, but I reckon the 3.0 TFSI is more plausible. It should produce about 255kW and 460Nm.
Audi is joining other premium car makers by introducing an 8-speed automatic for its biggest sedan. The adaptive air suspension works hand in hand with what Audi calls the most rigid chassis in its class. Passengers probably won’t feel a thing as they sit comfortably in their 22-way adjustable seats (front).
Although made from aluminium (just like the body of the car), the air springs are stiff, thus improving road holding. The new quattro system first used in the S4 has been utilised for the A8 as well. In addition to distributing torque to both axles the car will also send it to each individual rear wheel. Speaking of wheels, these will be available with up to 21-inch sizes.
Safety is taken care of by a long list of airbags, ABS with EBD, a pre-sense system that ultimately brakes the car for the driver in extreme situations, lane change assistance, and adaptive cruise control.
Other technologies include an upgraded MMI system with a touchpad and 3D maps for the satellite navigation, a large HDD, a USB pod, Bluetooth connectivity and others. In the US a 14-speaker BOSE sound system will come standard. A Bang & Olufsen Advanced sound system will probably be optional in many countries, with its 1 400 Watts that operate 19 aluminium-encased speakers through 19 channels.
It looks like 2010 will be a very interesting year for the A8 segment as BMW tries to solidify its leading position with the 7 Series in the SA market, Mercedes-Benz playing catch-up with the excellent facelift S-Class and Jaguar launching the brilliant-looking all-new XJ. Can’t wait.
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