Audi A8 Hybrid

My experience of the Audi A8's new facelift actually begins before the test drive here in Stockholm. It already started on the static display in Helsinki over a year ago. The desire to experience and test drive this ultra-comfortable luxury sedan has really grown!

It probably won't come as a shock to anyone that Audi builds comfortable and luxurious cars and has done so for the past two decades. From the beginning, the brand did not compete with Mercedes, but it does today. With the A8 model in particular, they have really placed themselves next to the competitor and their S-Class in the F segment, as it is called. It has now gone so far that I believe that the biggest difference between these two luxury sedans is that there is a star on the front of one and rings in the grill on the other. 

The new updated Audi A8 comes as a plug-in hybrid version. The combination of a V6 engine and electrification is really nice. Being able to drive silently and emission-free when it suits and there is power, and then get to enjoy a powerful V6 engine is really the best of both worlds. In total, electricity together with the V6 engine gives 462 horses and 700 Newton meters in torque. You get about 54-60 kilometers on electric power alone, the electric top speed is 135 km/h, while as usual it is electronically limited to 250 km/h otherwise. You can charge at a speed of up to 7.4 kW. The only thing that is negative about the A8 as a plug-in hybrid, if you look, is that the battery takes up about 155 liters of the luggage compartment when the battery is placed in the back. If you don't think 462 horsepower is enough, there is a sibling with an S instead of an A in the model designation. The Audi S8 has a V8 and a whopping 571 horsepower. Then, however, you don't get the hybrid drivetrain and you can therefore only get around with petrol consumption. 

What strikes me when I sit in the new A8 is that they have almost completely succeeded in slimming down all physical controls, in addition to the ones you actually need. But both in the front and back seats there are now touchscreens pretty much everywhere. And of course this is convenient and feels modern, but sometimes traditional buttons can actually fulfill a function when you want to change something while driving without having to look at a touch-sensitive screen to see where you are pressing. The latter is obviously not traffic safe, while pressing a physical button without taking your eyes off the road is. 

In an Audi A8, you should of course be a passenger. The car is of course fun to drive, but it is best experienced as a passenger, then with advantage in the back seat. The rear seats can be folded as desired and also have a massage function. But if you really want to take it a step further, you should choose the extended A8 version with an L in the designation, but with a price tag of SEK 50,000 extra. Then the front passenger does not get a back massage, but the passenger behind gets a foot massage! It all works simply as described in such a way that you turn on the massage function in the backrest. So if you sit on the right in the back seat, you can fold down a support for the feet in the backrest of the seat in front and then press your feet against the back of the backrest and experience a massage. Extremely comfortable to say the least which I got to try in Helsinki where they also had the L version. Another convenient thing to enjoy, both as a passenger and driver, is that Audi has integrated the Apple Music app into the infotainment system. This means that you can stream 90 million songs in the car from there, as long as you have an account to log into. 

As I said, this is really just an updated version of the A8 model and among the updates, the exterior light stands out above all, which has been reviewed and digitized. While the rear lights can be changed into different light signatures, the automatic high beams really do the work for you when you're driving. It paints the light picture in front of the car and illuminates precisely where it does not disturb other road users. Incredibly comfortable and accurate. 

The Audi A8 is truly a pleasant experience that you as a driver, but also a passenger, will enjoy. The level of technology reaches completely new heights, both in terms of comfort and performance. The only thing that could push down the new updated Audi A8 is if the sibling S8 were to come as a plug-in hybrid so you get an electrified V8 engine. However, there is no information or rumors about it. However, the A8 goes a long way and is guaranteed to use less gas than an S8 hybrid would. 

The new Audi A8 60 TFSI e must be experienced, both as driver and passenger. That matter is clearly established.