What's the news?
Irish pricing for the new Audi A8 luxury saloon has been confirmed as starting from €99,950 on-the-road.
The latest generation of the company's flagship saloon was officially launched in Ireland today (Sept 8, 2017) and will be available to order from 2 October. Signalling a shift change in Audi's approach to future models, all variants of the new A8 will feature a hybrid system in its powertrain, as the company moves towards greater levels of electrification across its range.
Initially, the Audi A8 will be offered with the choice of both diesel and petrol turbocharged V6s, producing 340- and 286hp respectively. Each utilises the company's new belt alternator starter (BAS) that, in combination with the car's 48-volt electrical system, allows it to coast for up to 40 seconds at a time with the engine switched off. This so-called 'mild hybrid' system will also appear in other models in the range, which will include a 435hp 4.0-litre diesel and a range-topping 6.0-litre W12 engine.
The new A8 features an impressive new interior that is virtually devoid of physical buttons. Instead, the majority of the usual functionality is controlled via two large touchscreens on the centre console. Ahead of the driver is the latest version of Audi's fully digital dashboard along with a detailed head-up display.
Anything else?
The new Audi A8 will also feature the latest in automated driving technology. It goes by the name of Audi AI and is one of the world's first production cars to feature Level 3 autonomy. This system, once the legislative process gets approval, will allow the driver to hand over driving to the car in certain circumstances. Currently, this applies to clearly marked motorways where there is a physical barrier separating the two carriageways, and at speeds of up to 60km/h.
In this scenario, the driver need only to sit in their seat, but can be hands, feet and eyes off the driving controls. The A8 will also be available with a remote parking pilot that will enable the car to autonomously steer itself in and out of parking space whether the driver is in the car or beside it. We have already had a taste of how this system works, which you can read about here in our special feature.