Review: Audi’s hulking flagship A8 limo gets a facelift and a greener V6 plug-in hybrid power plant

Published on 11 January, 2023

Overview

AS if there wasn’t enough luxury in the new A8, Audi has gone and super-sized it.

Not content with having oceans of sumptuousness already, the boffins at Inglostadt have stretched the body to 5.3 metres and bedecked all that extra space in materials fit for a king.

If the decadent, quilted leather doesn’t get you then the piano black trim in the upper dash – which magically disappears when you activate the heating – certainly will.

Now in its fourth generation and treated to a mid-life face-lift, this gargantuan limo is greener and almost as fuel efficient as a mid-sized hatchback. More about that later.

Style-wise, the front grille is the biggest change, with a wider frame and slimmer LED headlights. Opinion may be divided over the chrome detailing, which some may feel is a bit too much. The one pictured above has the Black Edition package.

At the rear, a coast-to-coast OLED 3D light bar never fails to put a smile on your face.

Inside, the cabin remains the same with three state-of-the-art digital displays dominating. The epic Virtual Cockpit, complete with Google 3D maps and interchangeable instrument clusters, is nestled behind the chunky leather steering wheel.

To the left, in the upper centre console, is the infotainment system which is home to phone, music streaming and apps.

Below is a third touchscreen for climate control, with button-like sensors to raise or lower the temperature or fan speed.

The graphics are crystal clear and the reaction speed is second to none.

Joining the engine line-up is the 60 TFSi — a 3.0 litre V6 petrol plug-in hybrid — that generates a whopping 456bhp while returning 1.8 litres/100km or 156mpg.

To achieve those figures (Audi’s, not ours), the petrol powerplant is twinned with an electric motor fed by a 17.8kWh battery pack which will give up to 56km of electric driving alone.

Winter driving, with heater, lights and wipers on, you’ll be lucky to see 40km.

As with all PHEVs every journey begins in serene silence as the large EV motor with 134bhp, glides this 2.4 tonne luxo barge through city traffic with ease.

Take it out on the motorway (you can opt to save the battery power by switching modes in the drive control settings) drop the foot, and the full might of the V6 kicks in – hitting 100kph in just 4.9 seconds.

The grunt and its delivery are simply sublime thanks to the 8-speed automatic gearbox and the hybrid set-up which is essentially the same as that in the Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid.

The all-wheel drive Quattro adds to safety and drive dynamic, but steer clear of larger 20-inch rims, which make the ride a tad choppy.

Strangely though, the best place to enjoy the effortless drive is in the rear where the extra legroom offers supreme comfort.

That was put to the test by my 6ft 2in passenger (son) who rubber-stamped the sprawl factor by falling asleep twice on longer jaunts.

The only downside is the plug-in tech eats into the boot space, reducing the original 505 litres of luggage space down to just 390.

But the biggest fly in the Audi ointment is the recent launch of the all-new BMW i7 fully electric 7-series.

We will be testing it in the next couple of weeks, and can’t wait to see the 32-inch theatre screen that descends from the roof in the rear.

In the meantime, save those pennies as prices for the Audi A8 L start at €117,348.

FIRST LOOK

Mercedes’ all new SL AMG drop top is here

SHOULD your six numbers come up in the EuroMillions, the maybe you should treat yourself to this stunning drop top.

Fresh off the assembly line in Stuttgart is the new Mercedes AMG SL Roadster – the first of what will be a series of new models planned for the year ahead.

It promises “performance luxury” with a 2+2 seat configuration (the first since 1989) and a sumptuous interior with a fully digital cockpit.

There is wall-to-wall leather, heated bucket seats with fans in the headrests and the latest MBUX infotainment system with “Hey Mercedes” voice control.

The new offering is lighter and more agile than its predecessor. Thanks to a new Z-fold mechanism, engineers shaved off 21kg on the soft top roof, which can be deployed at speeds of up to 60km and takes around 15 seconds to complete.

In the SL, extensive AMG-specific content in five display styles are added. Exclusive drive modes such as AMG Performance or AMG TRACK PACE adds that dollop of spice should you want to push this car to the limits.

Initially, Irish customers can choose the entry level AMG which generates 381bhp and two 4.0-litre V8 bi-turbo engines with 476hp or 585hp respectively and 0- 100kmh in four seconds.

A Formula 1-inspired E-PERFORMANCE hybrid with an electric power unit at the rear axle will follow. Fully variable 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive is standard.
Prices begin from €238,395.

Cupra bucks trends with record sales in 2022

OVERALL, new car sales here increased marginally last year, but still lagged 10pc behind pre-Covid levels.

Cupra – the performance wing of parent company SEAT – bucked the trend, with registrations up 267pc in 2022 compared to 2021, making it the fastest-growing car marque in Ireland.

Thanks to the award-winning Formentor, sales took off, followed by the all-electric Born which performed exceptionally well.

Cupra’s offering expanded to four models, with the Leon hatchback and Sportstourer and the Ateca SUV completing the line-up.

The brand has already started its journey towards full electrification and the figures show a promising trend – nearly one in three Cupras sold last year were electrified and that figure looks set to expand as more electric models arrive.

In other good news, supply chain issues caused by the war in Ukraine have also been rectified.