Audi’s A8 luxury sedan has gone under the knife for its midlife update. See what’s changed below…

The new 4th generation Audi A8 was revealed back in 2017 (the Audi S8 arrived locally earlier this year) boasting notable technological advancements over its predecessor, including Level 3 autonomous driving capability. Now, Audi has given its luxury sedan a midlife cycle update to keep the A8 competitive against the BMW 7 Series and the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Key changes for the Audi A8

Audi has given the A8 a generous splash of chrome.

The most prominent visual change can be seen on the A8’s front-end design where the new grille has been generously splashed with chrome and new, sharper-looking headlight units with Digital Matrix LED technology have been fitted. The lower bumper sports larger air intakes which are also bordered in chrome. The new A8’s design is now perhaps more expressive than before.

Audi has also expanded on the A8’s body colour palette with new metallic finishes such as District Green, Firmament Blue, Manhattan Gray and Ultra Blue. New matte shades include Daytona Gray, Floret Silver, District Green, Terra Gray and Glacier White. In addition to this, the A8 can also be had with a chrome exterior package and, for the first time on the A8, an S line exterior package.

A new selection of wheel designs will also be offered for the A8 in sizes ranging from 18- to 21-inches. Digital OLED taillights are a standard feature and are equipped with proximity indication which illuminates all the OLED segments if a vehicle approaches the A8 from behind within a distance of 2 metres.

Audi’s A8 interior features the best technology in the firm’s arsenal.

As for the interior, as you would expect, it features the very best technology in Audi’s arsenal including a digital cockpit comprising a 10.1-inch digital instrument cluster and an 8.6-inch touchscreen running Audi’s latest MIB3 infotainment software. Rear passenger entertainment has now been bolstered with two 10.1-inch full HD displays while superb sound quality is delivered by a high-end Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System boasting no less than 23 speakers and 1 920 W amplifier.

Audi says there are about 40 driver assistance systems available in the updated A8. Some, such as Audi pre sense basic and Audi pre sense front safety systems are standard but other driver assistance systems are bundled into packages and offered as optional equipment. The packages include Park, City and Tour while the assistant package plus consolidates the packages. The Park package is highlighted by the remote park assist plus feature, for example, while the City package includes features such asintersection assist, cross-traffic assist, side assist, exit warning, and the Audi pre sense 360° safety system, which induces a side crash enhancement in combination with the active suspension. The Tour package includes features such asadaptive cruise assistwhile thecentral driver assistance controller (zFAS) continuously calculates a model of the environment.

Over and above this, Audi offers an extensive list of optional features that will cater for just about any need or want you can think of and you will only be limited by how much you are willing and able to spend on such features.

What engines are offered for the Audi A8 in South Africa?

The range-topping S8 is the only A8 derivative available in SA. We’re not complaining…

In South Africa, the A8 is only offered in range-topping S8 guise featuring a bi-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine with 48V mild-hybrid technology that develops no less than 420 kW and 800 Nm and is coupled with an 8-speed automatic transmission that lays those numbers down on the tar via Audi’s quattro all-wheel-drive system. Zero to 100 kph in the S8 takes just 3.8 seconds. Driving comfort and dynamic ability is enhanced with predictive active suspension, sport differential and dynamic all-wheel steering.

In other markets, the A8 is powered by a 3.0-litre V6 petrol, 3.0-litre turbodiesel and a 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine.

The Chinese market, however, is treated to an ultra-luxurious, long-wheelbase A8 L Horch which was also recently revealed.

Audi South Africa has confirmed that the updated S8 is expected to reach local showrooms in Q42022.

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