Considering that this big boy from Ingolstadt has been around since as long as 1994, the latest A8 is only in its third generation right now which means Audi has been taking it slow to get it right. While the latest version has been around for over a year, Audi has now introduced the A8 with the stonking 4.2 TDI engine. ZigWheels puts it to the test!

Cossetting Ride, leech like grip

What we have noticed in most of the big German luxo barges is that the suspension is mostly tuned for smooth autobahns rather than our pothole ridden roads. As a result, ride quality goes for a complete toss. Be it low profile tyres or a stiff suspension set-up, most high end cars that we have are set up for high speed smooth road sailing rather than the low speed bad road situation that we have here in India. This A8 though came across as quite a surprise. 

The road we took for the shoot got quite bad in certain sections but the A8 had no qualms whatsoever. The air suspension simple soaks up whatever you throw at it and then some. A very well tuned suspension and very acceptable 55 profile tyres are what get the job done here. While the suspension is more than competent, the ground clearance isn’t and as result one really has to baby the car when the situation gets bad.

Out of a very important meeting and you decide to loosen up a bit and have fun, the big Audi is ready to dance. With Dilip Desai, our chief road tester and former rally driver behind the wheel, this big boy showed us some moves which were very unlikely for a 2.2-tonne limousine and more akin to a sportscar. Ride and handling, this Audi has it covered and how!

The magic of technology

With all that horsepower and not to mention the weight as well, one would simply shudder at the question of fuel efficiency. But Audi has engineered this car not just for the brilliant performance that it dishes out but also to consume as little of the ever disappearing fossil fuel. Driven under normal traffic conditions, this giant sipped a litre of fuel every nine km which is a brilliant figure and out on the highway, which figure rose to an even better 11kmpl. As a result with that massive 90-litre fuel tank, one will easily traverse 855km before you have to hit the next fuel pump.

Buy this or spend a little more and get an airplane?

As tempting as a private airplane sounds, you will need a car in the end for the majority of the commutes and the Audi A8 L 4.2 TDI is pretty much the next best thing to owning your private airplane. With comfort to match the most comfortable lounge, performance to shame a sportscar and enough presence to make you a page 3 celebrity,  this Audi has everything covered as long as you have its eight-digit price tag covered. At Rs  1.07 crore (ex-showroom Maharashtra), the Audi costs as much as a palatial house in south Mumbai, but in case you are considering this car, my guess is you already own a house like that. And if you do, this Audi fits your garage to a  'T'.