Audi A8 3.0 TDI clean diesel 262 CV Quattro, review and road test

The day we collected the star of our test I was heading to the Audi Spain headquarters with a certain excitement and nervousness. It is not the first car of the brand we have tested, nor is it the most expensive or the sportiest that has passed through our test team, but the Audi A8 is a true icon within the German brand, and you do not get the chance to test the flagship of Audi every day.

We opted for the entry-level diesel engine. It is a three-litre, six-cylinder V engine that has been completely updated and delivers 262 CV. The next diesel engine available is the powerful 4.2 V8 TDI of 385 CV. We believed the 262 CV engine would be more than sufficient, and it has not disappointed us. The Audi A8 is a great saloon in the grand sense of the word, and a car that surprises.

Exterior design: elegance and sportiness

It underwent an exterior redesign in 2014 that sharpened its lines. Its image is imposing, and it is large (5.13 metres long), something we notice when parking, even in car parks. On the road it does not go unnoticed: its robust front end with the huge Audi grille and the LED headlights (Matrix LED headlights) make it clear that this is no ordinary Audi.

Along the sides, the huge 21-inch alloy wheels and the tinted glass (thicker, with double insulation and soundproofing) lend it a sporty touch. The tyres on our unit are Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT in 275/35 R21 sizes, which behave superbly on the road, showing good grip at all times.

At the rear we again see simple, defined and elegant lines. The chrome strip running along the lower part of the (LED) light clusters stands out, and the sporty touch comes from the two rectangular chrome exhaust outlets. On the exterior of the Audi A8 there are four cameras offering a 360º view of the car’s surroundings: one at the front, one at the rear and two under the mirrors, with a notably wide-angle front and rear camera.

Interior design: spacious and high quality

When we sit at the wheel, the first thing that catches the eye is the quality of the materials. The dashboard design is quite simple (although our unit received a restyling in 2014, the dashboard has not changed since 2010), highlighting the use of leather on the upper part, pleasant-to-the-touch materials in the remaining areas, and polished steel inserts. On the top only the navigation screen sits (with standard navigation and automatic operation); all the buttons are concentrated on the centre console. There are quite a few, but once you get used to them they are easy and intuitive to use.

The driving position is very comfortable, with good visibility. The front seats are micro-perforated leather with heating and ventilation, and they also have electric adjustment and memory. We have at our disposal multiple settings to find the driving position we like best (backrest adjustment, length adjustment, seat cushion height adjustment, lumbar support, side bolsters, seatbelt height…), and even a massage function with several programmes, where we can adjust the intensity of the programme or the massage zone.

Different electric seat adjustments and the massage function with several programmes

The centre console is quite high. It has a small cup holder slot where the ashtray goes (and where you can leave the key, for example), and a small compartment under the front armrest (where you can leave your phone, for example). There are not many places to leave things in the front seats, and those that exist are small, including the main glovebox.

From the rear seats

The Audi A8 is a car as fun to drive as it is comfortable when chauffeured. The rear seats are fit for a head of state: two huge seats, and the central seat folds down as an armrest, hiding a storage compartment and the controls for the independent rear climate system. Comfort is superb; our unit had tinted glass that is also double-thick, and combined with the car’s excellent soundproofing and air suspension, any journey is extremely comfortable.

There is more than enough room for legs and head, and it also has 12V sockets on the centre console, two air vents and even ashtrays in the doors. At night the ambient lighting, with lights in the footwells and along the sides, gives an elegant white light and a calm atmosphere (ideal for relaxing after a busy day of meetings and checking our smartphone without straining our eyes). If we want more comfort, there is a huge list of extras to improve the comfort and equipment of the rear seats.

As for storage, as we have already mentioned, the front has several compartments, but they are small, whereas the rear seats have normal-sized door pockets and a compartment in the central armrest. A detail we liked is the storage in the door armrests, where a set of keys or even a phone that is not too wide will fit. The boot has a capacity of 490 litres. The tailgate is electrically operated, and it has a spare wheel smaller than the ones fitted to the car (19 inches).

In the A8 diesel range there are only two engines available: 3.0 V6 TDI 262 CV and 4.2 V8 TDI 385 CV. V6 or V8? Either engine is more than sufficient to provide power, smoothness and sportiness, although we opted for the 3.0 V6 TDI diesel version of 262 CV, and the result was outstanding.

It is a very smooth engine, with a firm response from low revs (from 1,500 to 4,500 rpm), with particular push once past 3,000 rpm. When we press the accelerator hard, we feel the speed rise quickly, always progressively, without fading and without jerkiness (as one would expect in a saloon of this class). Proof of that acceleration capability is the torque of 580 Nm. Among its performance figures, the acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds and the top speed of 250 km/h stand out.

An important element of the Audi A8 is the Quattro all-wheel drive, which provides simply superb traction in almost any situation. It does not matter what state the road surface is in or what the weather is like, since the drive system ensures there is no loss of power. The gearbox responsible for transmitting those 262 CV to the road is an eight-speed transmission (torque converter) that works correctly. It has paddles for sequential shifting and is quick to change gear. It is even effective at holding the car back on long descents. The only criticism is with sudden downshifts (when you floor the accelerator and drop gears to rev the engine), where the response is somewhat slow, although it is not an S8 after all.

Handling

As soon as you start it, the first thing you notice is the good engine soundproofing, and even at full acceleration the sound is quite muted. Pulling away from a standstill is very smooth, thanks to the automatic gearbox that shifts without you barely noticing. Although it measures over five metres and weighs nearly two tonnes, behind the wheel the sensation is of lightness, or at least you do not feel the weight or dimensions of the car.

Using the “Audi drive select” system, you can select different driving modes by pressing the “CAR” button on the centre console. The driving modes (Efficiency, Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual) modify the response of the gearbox/engine, the air suspension (adjusting firmness), the steering and the adaptive cruise control.

Our first road test was on the motorway, an environment where the Audi A8 moves with total ease and comfort on board. The interior soundproofing is more than adequate, the suspension looks after interior comfort, the sensation is one of stability, and the engine has no trouble with overtaking or merging. On the road, despite its dimensions, it is a comfortable and rather agile car, thanks to the engine, the Quattro traction system and precise steering. It is not intimidated by winding roads or mountain passes.

During the test we had quite bad weather, and thanks to that we were able to try it on roads with very wet asphalt, and mountain roads where the Audi A8 went along with complete calm and the feeling of control was total, making it really difficult to pull it off the marked line, and should it show any sign of drifting off line, the ESP acts immediately. We were surprised by its traction and agility, even in unfavourable conditions.

Consumption

The Audi A8 with this diesel engine, the V6 Clean Diesel with 262 CV, is quite economical, as shown by the average motorway consumption on our usual route between Madrid > Vigo > Madrid, which came to 7.3 litres per 100 km with normal driving. On the road the usual consumption figure is around 8 litres per 100 km; however, if we are careful with the accelerator pedal it is possible to get down to an average of 7 litres per 100 km.

In the city, however, consumption is around 10 litres per 100 km, entirely understandable and not a particularly high figure. The start-stop system fitted as standard to this engine surely helps.

Within the extensive equipment list of the Audi A8, safety equipment stands out in particular, both standard and optional. Standard equipment includes numerous airbags (front, front side, curtain, rear side…), emergency braking system, Audi PreSense (a system that prepares the car for a collision), stability control, traction control, ABS, emergency brake assist, a self-locking central differential, fog lights, and a fatigue detector (based on driving time or driving style), among other elements.

As optional extras, we can highlight the assistance package (4,115 euros), which includes: Audi PreSense Plus, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot mirror assist and lane-change assist. The first of these is a braking system that in the city is able to bring the car to a complete stop when it detects an obstacle; on the road, even if it cannot stop the car entirely, it warns the driver of an imminent collision and, if the driver does nothing, activates the brakes to mitigate the possible accident. At the same time, during the whole warning and braking operation, the system tightens the front seatbelts, closes the sunroof and side windows, and switches on the hazard lights to warn other vehicles.

The blind-spot assist in the mirrors (which Audi calls Audi side assist) consists of a series of yellow LEDs in the mirrors that flash when we change lane with a car in the blind spot, and therefore there is a risk of a side collision. What is novel about how it works on the Audi A8 (which I have not seen on any other Audi or similar model) is that normally you have to switch on the indicator for it to activate, but on the A8, if we drive outside the lines of our lane and a car approaches with which there is a certain risk of a side collision (because it is not in our lane), the system activates automatically, warning us both visually and audibly of that danger.

Finally, within the assistance package is the lane-change assist. It has several configurable operating modes, from a more interventionist mode to one that only warns us when we leave our lane. In the most interventionist mode, it even takes control of the steering to turn and keep us within the lines (even on quite sharp bends, where other similar systems do not turn the wheel as far). It is a very useful element on the motorway, although it takes some getting used to its intervention; otherwise it can be set to only warn of lane departure and be less interventionist.

Another optional element, although strongly recommended, is the Matrix LED headlights. These are not simple LED headlights: the system has a front camera able to recognise up to 8 elements on the road (cars, bicycles, motorbikes…), adapting the light beam (switching off, reducing or increasing the intensity of each of the 25 LEDs in each headlight) so as not to dazzle other drivers while maintaining maximum illumination at all times. Just in case that were not enough, it works in combination with GPS to adapt the lighting to bends and junctions, so that you always have the best possible illumination.

All of this translates in practice into perfect lighting (yes, absolutely perfect) on the road. When a car is coming towards us, it automatically switches off the LEDs so as to create a dark area around that car, while the sides remain lit with the high beams. The same happens when we are following a vehicle: in that case it lights all the sides but keeps the “dipped beams” for the area around the car so as not to bother or dazzle anyone.

Completing the comfort equipment, we should highlight the electric seats with massage function (which we have already discussed), the electrically adjustable steering column, the ability to adjust the climate control temperature by zone according to sensors (for the feet, for example), and the navigation system, which is standard. The sound system in our unit was signed by Bose. There is an even more complete system (Bang&Olufsen Advanced – 7,900 euros), but the Bose system we tried, which costs only 1,465 euros, was really good, and the sound was more than enough to enjoy clarity and quality, thanks to its 600 W and 14 speakers.

Audi A8 prices

The Audi A8 starts at 86,800 euros for the 262 CV V6 diesel engine, although our unit, once the extras are added and according to the official price sheet provided to us by Audi Spain, came to around 119,000 euros.

The full price range for the short-wheelbase versions:

• Audi A8 3.0 V6 TDI Clean Diesel 262 CV Quattro 86,800 euros
• Audi A8 3.0 TFSI 310 CV Quattro 91,600 euros
• Audi A8 hybrid 2.0 TFSI 245 CV 92,110 euros
• Audi A8 4.2 V8 TDI Clean diesel 385 CV Quattro 110,380 euros
• Audi A8 4.0 TFSI 435 CV Quattro 113,930 euros
• Audi S8 4.0 TFSI 520 CV Quattro 133,370 euros

Overall opinion and assessment of the Audi A8

Talking about models like the Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7 Series or the Audi A8 means talking about the flagships of the German brands. BMW and Mercedes each have two completely new models that were launched in 2014 and 2015, while the Audi A8 has undergone an update and is fully capable of competing with the two flagships. In terms of finish, the Audi has nothing to envy in the Mercedes S-Class. However, the design of the Mercedes is more luxurious, while the Audi opts for simpler lines but with quality fit, materials and finish in keeping with the segment.

Behind the wheel (and pending a test of the new BMW 7 Series), the Audi A8 is sportier than the Mercedes S-Class, which leans towards a comfort-oriented character. It is precisely its dynamic behaviour that has pleasantly surprised us, especially the stability and rigidity of a car that measures more than five metres and responds with great agility on almost any type of road and in any weather conditions.

The air suspension works superbly, both in sporty mode and when we want more interior comfort. In addition, this V6 engine also stands out for its low consumption, making it really easy to hover around 7.5 litres on the road.

Another point in its favour is the interior comfort, both in the front and rear seats. Not to mention the complete safety equipment, especially the LED headlight system and the various driver assistance systems. In short, although it is a veteran model that was recently updated, it retains a series of features that make it interesting, especially for those seeking a prestige car with character behind the wheel, not just comfort.

Photos | Highmotor test team