Audi A8L 3.0 TDI: Road Test

  • Jun 7, 2011
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We finally get our hands on the 3.0-litre diesel version of the latest, cutting-edge Audi A8L and we find out if it has what it takes to beat the other two German luxury limos

The wind howls through the canyon, accentuating the moonless night, as we snake along its winding bends. Moving at superhuman speeds, the craft we’re in barely makes a whisper. The thermal imaging cameras pick up targets ahead of us in the distance and marks out the human silhouettes on the eerie monochromatic infra-red display in the center of the cabin. I’m tempted to call out to my navigator to lock weapons and blow them away to kingdom come.  But that’s not really an option. Instead my right foot jumps from the throttle onto the brake. As we shed speed, reality comes crashing down and I realize that I’m not piloting a helicopter gunship into enemy territory, but instead cruising in the lap of luxury in the latest iteration of the Audi A8.

Actually iteration is probably a wrong word to describe this car. Everything about this Audi A8 is all-new from the ground up. While the earlier A8 was quite impressive in its own right, Audi has gone all out in making this new car something truly special. And one look at it should make it clear, though I should give fair warning that pictures really do not do this behemoth any justice - especially this long-wheelbase version, the A8L. At 5.27 meters in length, the car is rather intimidating in person. But its longitudinal terrorism apart, the restyled fascia does add a lot of presence to this machine. Sure it does have all the standard Audi-esque design cues, but the brand new all-LED headlights and the massive front grille have been reshaped to bring in some much needed aggression, lest the other two Germans get lulled into a feeling of superiority, at least in terms of design.

Now my colleague Vikram has really spoken a lot about this new A8L when he test-drove the 4.2-litre FSI version in Jaipur a couple of months back. But a car packed with so much cutting-edge technology and one that Bill and Ted would describe as “most excellent” does leave much to speak about. While Big Vik drove the petrol-powered V8, the top of the line engine available in India, the one I’m driving packs the entry-level (if you can ever call it that) 3.0-litre diesel engine. This V6 motor, smaller as it seems, is really, really far from unimpressive. So even if the 250 PS of power that this engine produces might not turn any heads, the massive 550Nm of torque will certainly snap some necks. Again, that this mill might be the bottom-of-the-order option, but whether you’re cruising on the highway at high triple digit speeds, or puttering around town, the engine is spot on at all times. It performs so well in fact, especially with regards to smooth power delivery at any engine speed that the strongest reason for picking the FSI option would seem to be bragging rights with that “4.2 FSI” badge on the car’s posterior. With strong pull in the low and mid ranges, the 3.0 TDI engine should be the ideal pick for someone who wants to enjoy the living room sized rear quarters with the chauffeur handling the wafting duties, as he or she bathes in the attention that this car is sure to draw on whichever bit of highway, street or gully the A8 decides to dominate.

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That being said, should one decide to swap seats with Charles the driver, this engine will surely hand out its fair share of jollies as it does pack quite a wallop. With all that power and torque going to all four wheels, thanks to Audi’s patented Quattro full-time all-wheel drive system, hurriedly nailing the throttle to the floor results in this luxury limo leaping to 100km/h from a standstill in a blisteringly quick 8.2 seconds. And we’re sure that given the right grade of tarmac, good quality diesel and adjusting tyre pressures to match, Audi’s claimed figure for the same, 6.2 seconds, will be fairly easily achievable. But what’s more impressive is the acceleration whilst the car is already in motion. Give the throttle pedal the same treatment when rolling at 40km/h and you’ll see that delectable speedo needle climb to 120km/h in just 8.83 seconds. This serious oomph in performance is not to the credit of the engine alone. The gearbox that delivers all the gut-wrenching torque to the four-wheel drive differentials does play a big part in all this. Now I’ve always been the first person to criticize Audi for not using their own patented twin-clutch gearboxes in their luxury saloons, opting for standard automatics with tiptronic shifting instead. But the 8-speed ZF auto ‘box in the A8 will certainly tickle some fancies – as it did ours, with its super-quick shift times and near-seamless gear changes. But the engine and gearbox would be worth a naught if it wasn’t for the lightness afforded by this car’s body.

And speaking of the body, the A8’s revolutionary ASF, or Audi Space Frame, not only does a brilliant job of keeping this long wheelbase limo’s weight fairly low, it also endows the A8 with exceptional torsional rigidity. Thanks to the space-age aluminium monocoque chassis, this A8L 3.0TDI has a dry weight of just 1890kg – significantly lighter than its similarly equipped long-wheelbase competitors. While the aluminium body might boast some real high-tech construction techniques and the use of other cutting-edge materials and methods, what is still more impressive is just how beautiful and classy Audi has managed to sculpt it. While the company’s previous cars were definitely not what you might call lookers, the new design language that Audi has started to incorporate from this new A8 onwards really works wonders. The front end has really butched up and with those optional first of their kind all-LED headlights, looks really out of this world. Follow the sharp shoulder-line over to the rear and you’re greeted by the all-LED taillight clusters which feature 72 individual LEDs each. The beauty of this new design is all in the details - from the little creases on the hood which meet the A-pillar and seem to continue from the C-pillar onto the boot, to the massive grille on the front – the A8 really looks the part of an elegant, yet aggressive luxury saloon, especially if you happen to catch it in white with a black roof.

It’s the same story on the insides as well. No expense has been spared to indulge driver and passenger in the ultimate lap of luxury. But it is clear that whole car has been designed around the rear seats. With two individual adjustable seats in the back as opposed to the usual single bench, passengers get to enjoy individual display screens in the front back seat rests with full control of the onboard MMI (Multi Media Interface), a little refrigerator between the two seats, a little fold-out table that pops out of the centre console and a brilliant seat massage system with a remote control that can be best described as “Bangkok on a button”. The left side rear passenger gets to enjoy another luxury too, as the push of a button slides the front left seat all the way ahead, drops its head rest and folds out a foot rest on the back so the bigwig riding in the back can stretch to full length and count sheep as the A8 glides along on its adaptive air suspension. Getting into the driver’s seat is no compromise by any means. It features the same Bangkok-style massage system as the rear seats and driving the A8 in any conditions is an absolute pleasure thanks to the well sorted out chassis, brilliant suspension and servotronic steering which can change its dynamics based on the chosen drive setting.

The bottom line is that the A8L, even with this bottom-of-the-order 3.0-litre diesel mill is the real deal – a complete package that encompasses stately luxury, cutting edge innovation and technology, safety (which almost deserves a full article by itself) and classical good looks. The effort on Audi’s part to make an honest-to-goodness luxury limo feels quite genuine. The 7 Series’ and S-Classes of the world now better watch their step, for their next iterations would need to be really out of this world to shake this car out of its high perch. Till then, this A8L easily remains our favourite luxo-barge.

Recommended Variant : A8 L 50 TDI Premium Plus

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