L e quattro 55 TFSI 4dr Sedan AWD (3.0L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid 8A)
L e quattro 55 TFSI 4dr Sedan AWD (3.0L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid 8A)
In 2020, among other vehicles, the carmaker has proudly announced the A8L in its 4th. Post its unveil at the Geneva Auto Show in 1994, the Audi A8 has changed from a family-size sedan to a full-size luxury saloon.
There are basically two kinds of luxury car buyers in the market. The first being, who want their car right this instant and care for nothing else, even if they know they'd regret it buying later on. The second set are the more predominant ones and are those people for whom we write for. These are the ones who know what they exactly want, even if it means waiting for a long period of time to acquire something that is rather special. The Audi A8L is the pioneer in the list of cars for the second set of people.
With over a century of building automobiles, Audi, the Volkswagen owned German auto manufacturer has a very distinguished name in the industry. Right from the entry-level luxury sedans to top of the line performance vehicles, there is no vehicle segment that Audi has not graced with its presence. The Audi A8L is a masterpiece with its silent powertrain coupled with a soothing and sumptuous interior. It really can't get any better than this! We kid you not.
Audi is offering the A8 as the long-wheelbase variant only i.e. the A8L. It is being offered in 2 trims, a 3.0L V6 55 TFSI trim, and a 4.0L V8 60 TFSI trim. The following are the features offered in the trims:
Model |
A8L(55TFSI) |
A8L(60 TFSI) |
---|---|---|
MSRP (AWD) |
$85,200 |
$96,800 |
Key Features |
12.3 Inch Audi Virtual Cockpit Plus |
Adds/Upgrades to A8L(55TFSI) |
Dual Centre (10.1” upper and 8.6” lower) Display Infotainment system |
265/40 R20 summer performance tires | |
Black Alcantara headliner |
Full leather package | |
Rain-sensing windshield wipers and Full LED Headlights |
Ambient interior LED lighting | |
Acoustic Parking sensors with lane assist warning |
Dynamic All-Wheel steering | |
19” 15-spoke wheel rims |
Night vision assistant with large animal and pedestrian detection | |
Anti Theft Alarm with Engine Immobilizer and interior motion and tilt sensors |
Bang and Olufsen 3D Premium Sound system with 17 Speakers | |
Multifunction steering wheel with paddle shifts |
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Heated 18-way power comfort front seats, including 4-way power lumbar adjustment and memory |
||
Advanced 9-Airbag Protection System |
For some extra cash, the 60TFSI model has more additional packages to make your A8L more personal to you and make it your own status statement piece. Besides these, different types of materials and features can be added to make the A8L as feature-rich as possible and truly turn it into a chariot of the Gods.
Which trim to buy?
if you want to stick to a budget, you cannot go wrong with the 55 TFSI. But as per the offers available, we would recommend the 60 TFSI trim with a 4.0 L V8 Turbocharged Engine. The car offers an overall better performance and for the extra cash, the 60 TFSI trim offers many more packages to customize from.
Audi is not a name that needs an introduction when it comes to performance. Audi A8L certainly doesn’t leave anything to the imagination either. With the 3.0L Turbocharged V6 engine, the luxury sedan churns out 335 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. The 4.0L Turbocharged V8 is in a different league altogether with 453 horses and 487 lb-ft of torque.
Models |
Audi A8 |
BMW 7-Series |
Lexus LS |
Mercedes S-Class |
---|---|---|---|---|
MRSP |
$ 85,200 |
$ 89,450 |
$ 78,670 |
$ 94,250 |
Engine |
3.0L Turbocharged- V6 |
3.0L Turbocharged Inline 6-cylinder |
3.5L-Twin-turbo V6 |
3.0L- Bi-Turbo V6 |
Drivetrain | AWD | AWD | AWD | AWD |
Transmission |
8-speed Tiptronic automatic |
8-speed shiftable automatic |
10-speed shiftable automatic |
9-speed 9G-Tronic |
Power |
335hp@5,000rpm |
335hp@5,500rpm |
416hp@6,000rpm |
362hp@5,500rpm |
Torque |
369lb-ft@1,370rpm |
330lb-ft@1,500rpm |
442lb-ft@1,600rpm |
369lb-ft@1,800rpm |
The A8L comes only with AWD in both its trims while the other cars offer an RWD base trim to people who want to enjoy the luxury of a full-size sedan and with an enthusiastic edge to the drive configuration.
The A8L is also a Mild Hybrid EV with an electric motor in conjunction with the engine. The sedan has a 14kWh battery pack to accompany the motor and contribute to the green revolution that the world is undergoing with more and more EVs on the road. The motor is for Efficiency driving mode and if you find yourself wanting to juice the car out, the engine will turn itself on without you even feeling the vibration of it.
Since the A8L is a full-size sedan, the car obviously is on the heavier side of the weight spectrum coming in at 4773 lbs, but that does not mean that it compromises on the performance, which is the Audi promise.
Models |
Audi A8 |
BMW 7-Series |
Lexus LS |
Mercedes S-Class |
---|---|---|---|---|
0-60 MPH |
5.6 sec |
4.8 sec |
4.6 sec |
5.4 sec |
Quarter Mile |
N/A |
12.5 sec |
N/A |
N/A |
Top Speed | 130 MPH | 155 MPH | 155 MPH | 130 MPH |
Engine |
3.0L Turbocharged- V6 |
3.0L Inline 6-cylinder |
3.5L- V6 |
3.0L- Bi-Turbo V6 |
Considering its competition, the A8L offers a slightly slower acceleration but still is decent enough for a 3.0L engine. The Lexus LS proves to be the quickest followed by the BMW 7-series. Counting the fact that the cars are quite evenly matched, Audi still needs a long way to go in optimizing the V6 to perform better.
The 2020 Audi A8L comes with 19-inch 15-spoke rims coupled with 255/45R19 all-weather tires as standard. This can be bumped up to 20-inch rims depending upon your preference.
Models |
Audi A8 |
BMW 7-Series |
Lexus LS |
Mercedes S-Class |
---|---|---|---|---|
Brake Rotors Front |
14.8" |
14.7" |
14" |
15.4" |
Brake Rotors Rear |
13.8" |
14.5" |
13.1" |
14.2" |
Curb Weight |
4773 lbs |
4381 lbs |
4905 lbs |
4542 lbs |
60-0 MPH |
118 ft |
112 ft |
113 ft |
N/A |
The brake system on the A8L is a 4-channel ABS with EBD that can handle everything you throw at it. Even with all that weight, the car certainly handles all the speed variations and stop-and-go very dynamically. The rather large 14.8-inch rotor discs in the front and 13.8-inch rotors in the back inspires the spirited driver in you to attack corners with ease
The sedan offers the Audi-characteristic Athleticism and riding comfort that makes every drive a pleasurable experience. Take it for a spin around town or hit the highway, you will never be disappointed with Audi. The carmaker has ensured that with the active suspension, you have the most comfortable drive both as a driver and as a passenger.
For a full-size sedan, the car is quite nimble at the turns and sticks all turns with breathtaking ease. The car has a 5-degree opposite rotation in the steering wheel to tighten the turning radius of the car.
Selecting the driving mode is like a labyrinth and can be changed as per your mood. Put it into the rear-differential mode and power is distributed to the rear wheels that need it most to sustain cornering. The adaptive air suspension does a great job of eliminating bumps. The 60 TFSI trim offers an additional feature that assists the suspension system by scanning the road ahead and adjusting the suspension for what it is going to encounter.
How does the A8L fare in the safety tests conducted by the IIHS?
The A8L has the most futuristic interior of all.
When dipping your foot into the luxury sedan market, the thought for fuel economy seldom arises. These cars are not your run of the mill econoboxes that offer out-of-the-world fuel economy. That being said, it’s not like the A8L has a high fuel consumption.
Models |
Audi A8L |
BMW 7-Series |
Lexus LS |
Mercedes S-Class |
---|---|---|---|---|
MPG (City) |
17 |
20 |
18 |
19 |
MPG (Highway) |
26 |
28 |
27 |
28 |
MPG (Combined) |
21 |
23 |
21 |
22 |
Fuel Capacity | 21.7 gallons | 20.6 gallons | 21.7 gallons | 21.1 gallons |
Range (City/Hwy/Combined) | 369/564/477 miles | 350/515/460 miles | 412/651/455 miles | 358/569/379.8 miles |
Emission (Tons/yr. of CO2 Emissions @ 15K mi/year) |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
With a full 21.7-gallon tank of the A8L offers a very decent mileage count of 17 miles in the city and 26 miles on the highway. Compared to its competitors, the A8L has the biggest gas tank and offers the best-combined range count on a full tank. In this regard, the Bimmer impresses us a lot with its class-leading economy, mainly because its the lightest of the lot.
The Audi A8L, a car that is specifically designed to portray the sense of style, status, and luxury in the very scent of its being, is lined with top in class features inside. The interiors of the sedan are a treat for the eyes. Leather upholstery with the tasteful addition of chrome and wood patina is in direct tandem with the Audi design methodology.
The Audi Virtual Cockpit system lights up the room. Ambient lighting in the cabin steals the show here with subtle lighting in the right places, the cabin gives a very homely yet exhilarating feel. The A8L is a full-size luxury sedan and hence is very roomy and comfortable. There is every piece of comfort that you can think of, and then some.
Models |
Audi A8L |
BMW 7-Series |
Lexus LS |
Mercedes S-Class |
---|---|---|---|---|
Seating Capacity |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Front Row (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (in) |
38.3/59.1/41.5 |
39.9/59.2/41.4 |
37.3/58.8/41 |
37.7/57/41.4 |
Rear Row ((Head/Shoulder/Leg) (in) |
38.5/57.6/44.3 |
38.9/57.7/44.4 |
37.3/56.4/38.9 |
37.4/59.1/34.1 |
Even tall drivers along with tall passengers can travel comfortably. The front seats are heated, power-operated and can have an additional cooling and massaging feature for those who must have everything in their car. The rear seat travelers are not left behind. They enjoy their own piece of luxuries with almost the same number of features as the front, like immense space, big-door openings among others.
Audi offers an optional 4 seat setup in which the conventional rear seats are replaced by a pair of power-adjustable rear seats with heating, ventilation, and massage as well as a heated foot-massage function and a pair of individual entertainment tablets. All this is done at the expense of the reduction of adjustment options for the front seat.
The ride, handling and travelling experience is quite serene as the cabin does a remarkable job at shutting out all of the noises from the outside.
The 2020 Audi A8L comes with a dual touchscreen infotainment system as standard. This is in Tandem with the 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit display. The upper touchscreen is a 10.1-inch display and the lower touchscreen is an 8.3-inch display. These control all the in-vehicular functions that a driver or a passenger can possibly need. The screens are a welcome change from the previous button setup of the previous iteration of the Audi A8L.
The broad features of the system are:
The infotainment system is fairly easy to operate and getting used to it might not take much practice. For a more immersive music experience, you can pick up the 23-speaker Bang & Olufsen 3D Advanced Sound System, which will turn the car in a virtual discotheque.
Considering the size of the sedan, the A8L is not high on space with a mere 13 cubic feet of cargo space. Although it is not much, it’s still enough to pack supplies for a picnic to the park with the family and still have some extra space.
Models |
Audi A8L |
BMW 7-Series |
Lexus LS |
Mercedes S-Class |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cargo Capacity |
13.0 cu.ft. |
18.2 cu.ft. |
17.0 cu.ft. |
18.7 cu.ft. |
Compared to its closest competitor by dimensions, BMW 7-Series, the A8L is high on being spacious but low on the utilization of space for storage. This segment is where the Mercedes S-Class takes the cake with the best in class cargo space.
There are a plethora of other features that the A8L comes loaded with:
The Audi A8L is the manifestation of the Audi Prologue concept which debuted in the 2014 LA Auto Show. If this saloon passes by you, you certainly won’t be able to resist the temptation to turn your head and watch it go out of your sight, such is the design language of Audi. The car has sleek lines with a dignified yet dominating presence. Hands-down, this is the best looking sedan Audi has produced in a while now, that's for sure.
The front features the brand’s signature Singleframe Grille design and takes up the majority of the front-end. The chrome-finish all over the front-grill brings out the premium appeal that Audi was trying to achieve. Drawing inspiration from the grille design, the design of the fog lamps follow suit.
Models |
Audi A8L |
BMW 7-Series |
Lexus LS |
Mercedes S-Class |
---|---|---|---|---|
Curb Weight |
4773 lbs |
4381 lbs |
4905 lbs |
4542 lbs |
Length |
208.7" |
207.4" |
206.1" |
206.9" |
Width |
76.6" |
74.9" |
74.8" |
83.9" |
Height |
58.6" |
58.2" |
57.9" |
58.9" |
Ground Clearance |
4.8" |
5.3" |
N/A |
N/A |
Wheelbase |
123.1" |
126.4" |
123" |
124.6" |
You cannot help but compare the Matrix-designed headlamps of the A8L with the Marvel Studios’ Iron Man’s eye, which has a sleek yet aggressive look to them. Yes, we have some big-time nerds over here. These accentuate the Singleframe grille design and add another dimension to it. There are changes at the lighting system in the rear lamps as well which are now OLED which perform an animation of lights when the vehicle is locked or unlocked. The indicators are dynamic and move in the outward direction to emphasize the direction the car will turn.
By what margin in prices do the trims vary by?
How does the A8L handle around corners despite its hefty weight?
The Audi A8L is the luxury offering of the brand coming in second only to the Audi S8. Since these are costly pieces of art, these are not tested by the IIHS or NHTSA. But that does not mean that the car is not safe. The car comes equipped with top-notch safety features and then-some proprietary driver assists technologies.
The car comes with the following safety features:
And for people who want more safety, the carmaker offers a special Security edition package for the A8L which has ballistic coverage and other military-grade protection methods to keep you safe. There you have it, a tank for your protection. It doesn't get any better than this.
From the house of the German Automaker, BMW, the 7-Series is the closest rival to the A8L. If you’re looking for a car that comes close to the A8L in terms of luxury, class, and status, its this car. The car comes equipped with every feature from the carmaker’s stable and truly exemplifies the flagship tag. The car performs better than the A8L and has better fuel economy, better cargo but is slightly higher priced as compared to the A8L with the same AWD. While there is a cheaper RWD option available, the base variant 7-series is slightly more rigid as compared to the A8L. If we were to recommend one car in place of the Audi A8L, it is the BMW 7-Series.
Japanese carmaker Toyota’s luxury division, Lexus released the LS sedan to battle it out in the luxury sedan segment. The LS Sedan has no shortage of spectacular design cues to mesmerize anyone that lays eyes on it. The quiet sedan is stable at all speeds and even charges itself being a hybrid EV. With an option to upgrade the heads-up display to 24-inch size and a mammoth 28-way power-adjustable front seats and 22-way power-adjustable rear seats, the LS sedan has many more options to customize it from and make it stand out even more. Although it is very comfortable and silent, it loses out on agility to the BMW and Audi. Pick this up if you want a tried and tested reliable yet futuristic car.
Being a long term competitor of the Audi, Mercedes-Benz offers the S-Class to take on the other cars in the full-size luxury sedans department. High on performance and torque with the classic silver-arrows feel, the S-Class stands for luxury, lavishness, and performance. A plethora of creature comfort and powertrain options are available through a wide number of trims. The S-Class gives the best of what Mercedes Benz has to offer. Whether you want a classic luxurious sedan or a drophead coupe or if you want a steroid high AMG variant, the S-Class has it all. But all of this comes at a price jump of almost 10 grand. So if you want something that is a no-brainer, then the 2020 Audi A8L is a better option.
Style, Status, Luxury coupled with remarkable performance, are the traits that can be associated with the 2020 Audi A8L. Considering the hefty price it draws, the A8L justifies it in the technology and infotainment as well as the comfort it offers. It faces steep competition from the segment leader Mercedes Benz S-Class that has set the benchmark quite high with its top of the line luxury and performance quotient. Nevertheless, the A8L certainly holds its own and makes a strong case for itself. With spacious interiors and literally a virtual spa in place alongside entertainment features, all contained within the quiet cabin, the A8L is truly a chariot of the Gods. Buy it and you certainly won’t regret it.