New Audi A8: Even longer, yet Autonomous

Ingolstadt, 11. July 2017

It's finally here: Audi shows off its luxury-Salami in their full glory. For weeks, the brand with very thin Info discs had announced the new A8. Now we finally have the official images and all the Details of the future of Audi flagship.

Neatly put

What is the Design of the new A8 say? Now, he looks elegant, but also not particularly innovative. In other words: The true revolutions are under the sheet metal. More on that later. Let's first take a look at the dimensions. The A8 is, in fact, became so elegant, because it has increased sharply. The normal version is now to 5.17 meters long, an increase of nearly four inches compared to the predecessor. The same is true for the stretched Version, which brings it now to 5,30 meters. In the height of the A8 grows to 1.47 meters (1,49 meters in the A8 L). The wheelbase has increased only minimally: 3.00 metres respectively 3,13 meters, the values are here. The width is decreased to 1.94 meters.

Foot massage?

Especially in the L-Version of the new Audi A8 it is to let the Prince stay. Here there is an optional relaxation seat in the rear seat, the passenger can rest his feet on the back of the front Passenger in several stages to warm and massage. In addition, there is in the rear of a Smartphone-like control unit, in order to control all the important comfort features.

The classic MMI is on its way out

We come to the actually revolutionary innovations in the A8: for this Purpose, the concept of operation counts. The known rotary-/Push button out of the dashboard remains largely free of buttons and switches. On a large 10.1-inch Display in the center of the vehicle, the driver controls the Infotainment touch of a finger. On the center tunnel, a second touch display to control the air conditioning and various comfort functions. A function is triggered, there is a click to confirm. Who granted rather by the language of his commands: Audi emphasizes the "natural language use".

This Audi drives itself

The second Revolution in the new A8 has a lot to do with comfort: According to Audi, the A8 was the first production car in the world, especially for highly automated Driving to the Level 3. The "AI traffic-jam pilot" by pressing a key on highways and Federal roads with structural separation up to 60 km/h the driving task. The driver can devote, depending on the applicable country's regulations, for example, the on-Board television. A small camera in the Cockpit detects whether the driver is tired or falling asleep. The car takes care of Starting, Accelerating, Steering, and brakes. Audi is the first auto manufacturer of a laser scanner. Under the Label "AI" there is also the possibility that the A8 under the Supervision of the driver who uses an App that controls in a Parking space or Garage. The driver did not have to sit in the car. After completion of the maneuver, the System selects the P-level is always the standard eight-speed automatic that makes the car.

Clever Suspension

Even the suspension, in addition to the dynamic all-wheel steering (steer the rear wheels slightly with) and the sport differential is also an AI Option. The AI-active suspension is a System in which each wheel separately via electric actuators up or down. Thus, the driving behavior is to offer a wide spread. The energy for this comes from a 48-Volt on-Board network, which is the same for all A8 series. Including a four-wheel drive is also always.

Engines: six-cylinder W12

What's under the hood to report? To Europe start in the late autumn of 2017, it is six-cylinder. The 3.0 TDI offers 340 HP and 600 Newton meters of maximum torque, the scores in the 3.0 TFSI with 500 Newton-meters and 286 horsepower. 2018 eight-cylinder engine with four-Liter displacement and double turbocharging follow. The Diesel comes up to 435 HP, while Audi is set to be in the 460-horsepower gasoline engine to a cylinder deactivation system. In the presence of moderate driving style of the 4.0 TFSI is the four-cylinder. Only in the long version there will be also starting in 2018, the W12 with 585 HP and 800 Newton meters of torque. This particularly in China popular engine has six litres of displacement and how the four-litre V8 cylinder deactivation. All the aggregates together, the Hybrid technology is Mild. It allows you to sail with the engine off velvet comfortable to start again. The recuperation power can be up to 12 kW.

Plug-in Premiere

For the first time, it will be in the Audi A8 but also a Plug-in Hybrid. The A8 L e-tron quattro will arrive in mid-2018 on the market. Here, Audi combines a three-litre diesel with an E-torque machine 449 PS of power and 700 Newton meters of System. In 4.9 seconds, it goes to 100, 250 km/h sealed off. The Lithium-ion battery in the Luggage compartment floor with a capacity of 14.1 kilowatt-hours of energy and is constructed as a flat Block of 104 cells. Purely electrically, the a8 L e-tron quattro can travel around 50 kilometers, is made possible by the Drive power of up to 135 km/h.

The price of luxury

How are the prices for the new Delicatessen from the house of Audi? In the case of 90.600 Euro, the long version is 3,500 euros more expensive. Currently, the A8 starts at 84,000 euros for the 3.0 TDI, which is 26 HP less powerful than its successor.(rh)

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