Fourth-gen Audi A8 unveiled, gets multiple new technologies

Audi has unveiled the fourth-generation of its flagship sedan - the 2018 Audi A8. The car was unveiled at the Audi Summit in Barcelona.

The new A8 is based on Audi's MLB Evo platform and uses the company's newly developed 48V electrical system. The front profile of the car gets a wide, upright single-frame grille that is flanked on both sides by sharp headlamp assemblies that come with Matrix LED technology. The side reveals a swooping roof line and a lengthened silhouette. The new A8 continues to be available with the choice of two wheelbase options - 2,998 mm for the standard model and 3,128 for the long-wheelbase A8L variant. The rear end is characterised by a long LED light strip that runs across the width of the car and functions as the brake light, along with OLED tail light assemblies on each end.

The interiors feature a horizontally laid out dashboard with a 10.1-inch touchscreen display placed in the center. The dashboard of the new A8 has been kept largely clear of physical buttons or switches. The new-gen model gets a separated touchscreen display in the centre console that can be used to control air conditioning and other comfort functions.

The new-gen Audi A8 is continuously connected to the internet. Occupants can use voice commands to activate different features in the car. Information around navigation and media can either be streamed through an onboard device (Smartphone, USB drive, etc.) or can be downloaded from the cloud at LTE speeds.

The most talked about feature of the fourth-gen Audi A8 is its autonomous driving functions. Audi claims that the new A8 is the first production car to be specifically developed for autonomous driving. The 2018 A8 comes with Level 3 self-driving functions. This includes a traffic jam pilot assist that takes charge of all driving functions in slow moving traffic at speeds of up to 60 km/h on highways where a physical barrier separates the two carriageways. This feature takes care of all driving inputs like starting, accelerating, steering and braking.

The hardware for this autonomous driving capability includes ultrasonic sensors, radar sensors, laser scanner and a front camera. These sensors send data to a central driver assistance controller (zFAS) that merges the data to compute an image of the surrounding of the car. Audi acknowledges the fact that this autonomous driving technology will need to receive independent regulatory approvals from various countries. As a result, the company will be adopting a step-by-step approach of introducing such features in the production models.

The 2018 Audi A8 also comes with a remote parking pilot feature that lets the car park and unpark itself in and out of a parking space or garage. Interestingly, the driver need not be inside the car for the system to work, as the park pilot feature can be triggered through the myAudi smartphone app. The driver can monitor the parking manoeuvre through a live display on the smartphone that showcases a 360-degree feed of the car.

The fourth-generation Audi A8 will first go on sale in the German markets with two turbo V6 engine options - a 282 BHP 3.0-litre TDI diesel and a 335 BHP 3.0-litre TFSI petrol. Additionally, 4.0-litre petrol and diesel engines with 429 BHP and 453 BHP, respectively, will be introduced in the near future. The said engines will be complemented with a mild hybrid system that will include a belt alternator starter motor. This system can recover energy lost in braking and can automatically start/stop the engine to aid fuel economy. As a result, the new A8 can coast with the internal combustion engine switched off, while the engine will be brought back to life when the car needs additional propulsion. Audi claims that this mild hybrid system can save up to 0.7-litres of fuel per 100 kilometers.

An e-tron plug0in hybrid variant of the Audi A8L will also be introduced at a later date. It will use a 3.0-litre V6 TFSI petrol engine along with an electric motor to cumulatively develop 443 BHP and 700 Nm of torque. The electric motor will be supplied juice from a lithium-ion battery pack that is expected to offer an all-electric range of around 50 km. The A8L e-tron Quattro will also come with wireless charging capabilities to charge the battery pack.

The new Audi A8 will go on sale in Germany in October this year at a starting price of EUR 90,600 for the standard model and EUR 94,100 for the long-wheelbase A8L.