2020 Audi A8 L

It offers an extensive list of lavish features alongisde a host of active safety features and advanced technology. Amongst its luxurious rivals, the Audi A8 goes head to head against the likes of Mercedes Benz S-Class and the BMW 7 Series. The German trio prove to be a dynamic rivalry and each bring along with them their own set of opulent arsenal. Where does the A8 stand? Read on the review to find out.

The new Audi A8 L houses a single turbo 3.0 litre V6 engine as the standard variant available in the market. As with most luxury rides, you can stick with the high level of standard equipment like Audi’s virtual cockpit, Bang & Olufsen 3D premium audio, and a panoramic sunroof. Or, of course go further with luxuries like massaging seats, premium leather, and even a fragrance ionizer.The manufacturer is expected to bring another variant with twin-turbo 4.0 litre V8 engine sometime in the near future.

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Since we do not have any choices of trims at the moment and considering that the turbocharged V6 is an adequate powerhouse in itself, this will definitely make for a good buy.

“The big A8 offers a very Audi-like blend of athleticism and ride comfort.It is taller, longer, more isolated from the road, yet better controlled than the A8 it replaces. It is a cruise missile for the wealthy; it flattens mountains and straightens freeways with ease.” -CarAndDriver

The latest Audi A8 L comes with a 3.0-litre TFSI turbocharged V6 engine as opposed to the 3.0L supercharged V6 engine of 2018. This time around, the engine is bolstered by a 48-volt mild-hybrid starter system that takes the power produced to a slightly higher 335 hp and provides a torque of 325 lb-ft. The V8 variant will also receive a slight bump in the power produced due to the latest mild-hybrid implementation. The V8 engines pump power of 453 hp while providing a torque of 444 lb-ft.

Both the variants get the 8-speed automatic transmission as a standard. The shifting of the gears can feel sluggish at times when using the car in normal modes and it can be offset by enabling the dynamic driving mode.

Though Mercedes clearly leads this segment with the twin-turbo engine and 9-speed transmission, a simple increment of 30 horses over Audi feels inefficacious for the extra buck.

Acceleration

The Audi A8 L fares an impressive zero to 60 mph speed in 5.6 seconds which is not at all a bad number considering that this is a luxury-oriented car and not a speeding beast. The throttle, however, feels tardy in comfort and eco modes. Nevertheless, the responsiveness of the throttle does get better in the dynamic driving mode owing to timelier gear shifts.

We can see that all the cars have almost similar 0-60 speeds. However, things start to get interesting in the quarter-mile segment where BMW outshine the other two. BMW manages to achieve speeds faster owing to lower weight and ample power output of the inline 6 turbocharged engine.

Ride and Handling

The ride in the latest Audi A8 L can be a pleasant experience owing to its best in class luxury equipment coupled with decent handling. It might not be a simple task to manoeuvre this vehicle at deep turns as it is a long base variant. However, the inclusion of all-wheel drive makes the turns painless. While cruising at tight bends at speeds below 37 mph, the rear wheels of the A8 turn 5 degrees out of phase to the front wheels to ease the turn. However, when the car is moving at speeds higher than 37 mph, the rear wheels are turned in phase with the front wheels up to a maximum of 2 degrees which makes car glide through short bends. With the implementation of this system, the A8’s wheelbase feels much shorter and achieves a reduction in the turning radius of up to 3.3 feet when compared to cars with similar wheelbase.

Braking

The Audi A8 L employs 14-inch disk brakes on the rear and 15-inch disks on the front for braking. This car also uses regenerative braking to capture the power that can be used to operate the stop-start system. This implementation is more aggressive in cutting down the combustion engine while the car is freewheeling, thereby reducing fuel consumption.

Since this car comes with features such as autonomous lane shifting and adaptive cruise control, we get automatic emergency braking embedded into the vehicle to avoid mishaps.

Bimmer having employed larger disks and taking advantage of it’s lower curb weight gets the car to a halt faster than Audi.

The Audi A8 L is not a game changer when it comes to mileage. The car in fact gives a slender 19 mph in city and 27 mph on a highway. This is lower than its near competitors. However, since this car is not expected to be a fuel efficient machine, it might not be a deal breaker of sorts. Nevertheless, it would be good to see Audi pull up it’s socks in the near future with respect to fuel efficiency.

“Consistent with all Audis of late, the new interior is a sober revision on an already businesslike theme. Although it lacks flourish, the materials and assembly quality are exquisite and complement the modern, if subtle, redesign.” – Car and Driver

Seating and Comfort

The Audi A8 L can seat 5 people at its maximum capacity. The front seats of this car have standard heating support and can be switched between 18 different power adjustment. You can even opt for an upgrade with 22-way adjustment, massage and ventilation functions. In this segment, a lot of emphases is given to the interior design of the car as that directly affects the passenger experience on a ride. And Audi does not leave any stone unturned in making the interior of this car the best in its class

The rear seating, on the other hand, needs an optional upgrade with executive rear seat comfort package for power-adjustable, heated, massaging and ventilated rear seats. Moreover, in this arrangement, the middle seat on the rear is lost to the smart remote control console which has interior controls and a wireless tablet embedded into the panel.

 You do not even feel the slightest of the outside noise while travelling in this car. To achieve this, Audi has resorted to the use of active noise cancellation to cancel out ambient noise. The car comes with a standard wood trim pieces for the interior of the doors and leather seats.

Infotainment System

Audi has made some significant changes in the infotainment segment as well with the latest A8 sedan. The standard infotainment features are as follows :

• Audi virtual cockpit (12.3" LCD digital instrument cluster with two visual modes: Classic and Infotainment)
• Navigation with a natural voice control system
• MMI® touch response with dual centre displays and haptic feedback
• Radio with Bang & Olufsen® 3D Premium Sound System, 17 speakers, 16-channel amplifier and 730 watts
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• HD Radio™ Technology
• Audi music interface with front USB port for data and charging
• Garage door opener

Cargo Capacity

The cargo capacity is one such segment where Audi A8 falls flat in the competition. The trunk capacity of Audi A8 being 12.5 cubic feet pales in comparison to S-class and 7-series whose cargo capacity is 16.3 and 18.2 cubic feet respectively.

However, you might find enough space to pack in two large suitcases, one small suitcase, some soft luggage and you will still find space to hold a few bits and pieces.

“Even if the A8's styling isn't exciting enough for you, it only takes one glance to recognize it's a large car. The U.S. only gets the longer A8 L, which has a 123.1-inch wheelbase and measures 208.7 inches overall.” - Motor Trend.

Dimension and Weight

The Audi A8 L strikes as a lengthy car right from the first sight. This fourth generation sedan comes only in the long base variant in the US which spans 123.1 inches. The length of the car has also witnessed an increase of about 1.3 inches while the height gets an increase of 0.7 inch. The width however, is shrunk by 0.1 inch. The car has a base curb weight of around 4751 pounds and ground clearance of about 4.8 inches.

Although the Audi has longer chassis, we can notice that the wheelbase of Audi A8 L is 1.5 inches shorter than the Mercedes Benz S-class and 3.3 inches shorter than the BMW 7 series car. On top of that, the standard four wheel drive of the Audi makes you feel that you are controlling a much shorter car. Since all these cars are recognised to be rear rider friendly vehicles, they do succeed in providing ample rear passenger comfort.

Exterior Features

The 2020 Audi A8 L offers these external features :

• Singleframe grille
• Full LED headlights
• LED taillights with dynamic indicators
• Heat-insulated front windshield
• Power-adjustable, power-folding, auto-dimming, heated exterior side mirrors with memory
• Power soft-closing doors
• Headlight washer system
• Panoramic Sunroof
• 19" 15-spoke design wheels with 255/45 all-season tires

Audi offers all these necessary safety features as standard in the fourth generation of A8 :

• Advanced Airbag Protection System with 6 airbags
• Safety package front, with front center airbag and illuminated safety belt buckles
• Front passenger occupant detection for airbags
• Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) in rear seats
• Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with secondary collision brake assist and traction control (ASR)
• Rear view camera
• Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-pressure Distribution (EBD) and brake assist
• Tire-pressure monitoring system
• Electromechanical parking brake

Mercedes Benz S-class

Mercedes S-class is often deemed as the benchmark when it comes to luxury cars. Rest of the car manufacturers try to match up to the standards laid down by Mercedes. It has an incredible performing engine that allows the user to have breezy handling. It is also the front runner when it comes to the interiors with excellently stitched leather supplemented with wooden and metal pieces embellished onto the cabinet.

However, where Audi A8 manages to conquer this super luxury car is in the infotainment segment. Audi A8 simply has better user-friendly features that prove to be useful and utilitarian. Moreover, Mercedes S-class is the costliest car in this bracket so you need to be willing to spend the extra buck for the Mercedes branding.

BMW 7-series

The BMW’s super-luxury 7-series car has its own ardent follower base that digs driving their own luxury car. It gives Audi A8 and Mercedes S-class a run for their money in the fuel efficiency with impressive numbers both in city and highways. The Beemer also provides better handling and stiff performance in off-road conditions. However, BMW does not do an exceptional job when it comes to the interiors and fails to match the prowess of the Audi A8.

 It does have decent seating and exquisite interiors but they simply fade in comparison to its counterparts. Of course, you can get better regal feature if you end up shelling out a little more money. But most of these features come with Audi A8 as a standard. So in the end, when it comes to choosing between these two cars it boils down to what you value more: performance or luxury.

The Audi A8 L is an incredible upgrade to the already existing eminent luxury sedan. Audi has managed to do some major changes with this car without compromising on the look or feel of this car. It also comes with a ton of new infotainment features which give it a better strategic standpoint when compared to its competitors. The four-wheel drive and predictive active suspension are among the premier features of the A8.

However, Audi does need to concentrate on improving the performance and handling of the car. The autonomous control of the car also needs some refinements before it can be reckoned for day to day use. All in all, the Audi A8 L is a worthy purchase from the top league with a potential to be the market leader.

FAQ's about Audi A8L

What does the L in Audi a8l stand for?

The A8L is the first car to use Audi's new design theme. ... The L stands for long wheelbase, but Audi doesn't sell the regular-wheelbase model in the United States.

How does Audi Connect work?

The Audi MMI connect app offers many other functions via Audi connect services, which can be operated from the onboard MMI system. They include transferring a smartphone calendar to the screen in the car. ... The system reads out the place, time and purpose of an appointment.