Test drive Audi A8 D3F 2005 - 2009 sedan

All photos Audi A8 D3F 2005 - 2009

Symbiosis of the elephant and hedgehog

Europeans, traditionally obsessed with reducing fuel consumption and emissions into the atmosphere, were waiting for the premieres of the model with a new motor impatiently.
In Russia, they do not like low -commissions in Russia. And to drive a large expensive car with a small -hull engine and is completely considered a sign of a bad taste or lack of money. Therefore, the first news that the Audi A8 after modest restyling will receive a new motor with a volume of 2.8 liters were perceived with a certain share of skepticism. Say, who needs it, this symbiosis of the elephant and the hedgehog?
Yes, of course, not our oligarchs. But Europeans, traditionally obsessed with a decrease in fuel consumption and emissions into the atmosphere, were looking forward to this premiere. At the presentation of the restyled eight, which recently held in Munich, the emergence of a new, youngest engine in the gamut was paid almost paramount attention. And first of all, they were sucked at all by the uniform power removed from each liter, and not the maximum speed that the power unit is able to provide, but those 199 g/km CO2, which allowed to name A8 2.8 a leader in this indicator in the classroom. And those 8.3 liters of gasoline, which are enough for 100 km in a mixed cycle. This is important for Europeans. We have other priorities.

Apparently, I perfectly understanding the foggy prospects of A8 2.8 in Russia, Audi decided not to supply such modifications to our market. But, one way or another, in a couple of years they will appear with us at least through the efforts of gray dealers. So I will allow myself to dwell on a string bag with this engine in more detail.
As it is easy to guess, carefully following the development of VW-Audi, the new engine received a FSI direct injection system. But there is another innovation system for changing valves. For each valve now there are two cams on camshafts. Depending on the load, the electronics selects the best option for lifting valves (out of two possible), moving the couplings with fists to the camshaft.
The power of a 2.8-liter power unit is 210 hp, the maximum torque is 280 nm. Is it a lot for a representative of a representative class? It is enough, given that the A8 due to the widespread use of aluminum parts in the construction of the body weighs only 1690 kg. Of course, if you transfer to a 2.8-liter version with 3.2- or 3.7-liter, discomfort will be noticeable. But in general, the engine is very good. According to objective data, it provides acceleration to hundreds in 8 seconds, in subjective dynamics of a golf-class car with a good 1.6 liter engine. A 7-speed automatic variator-type transmission deserves separate praise. It really works very quickly and always understands what they want from her. It is simply not necessary to use manual regime, except to overtake the lowered, since in the upper speed range (from 3500 to 5000 rpm), the 2.8-liter motor is more prison.

As for the behavior on the road, despite the fact that the Audi designers have finalized the suspension and steering, special changes are not noticeable. All the same confident passage of turns, steadily following the given path. The brakes are again not worthy of critics. They may not be as tenacious as they would like an active driver, but they are very informative: even the teapot will have no problems with dosing on the pedal.
The design of the eight has not undergone serious changes. The body parts remained the same, only the radiator grille, fog lights and external mirrors became others, and even then only an experienced eye can find differences. LEDs now settled in the rear flashlights under a smooth transparent lid. In the salon of updates, the restyling only expanded the gamut of finishing materials even less. For example, decorative inserts can now be made of walnut (light brown matte) and Wavan wood (gray).
Audi has always been all right with comfort. True, the choice of a convenient position on the driver's seat is akin to choosing a sausage in a good supermarket, the more species, the more difficult it is to decide. So with the chair: many adjustments make it take to search for the perfect configuration a lot of time.

A luxurious rear seat makes you forget about the eternal problem of small sedans with a lack of a place for legs. In a representative of the representative class, you can even throw your leg by the leg easily and at ease. At the disposal of the owner of the sofa at least the climate control unit and a telephone tube. There are more advanced equipment options for example, under the central armrest can be provided with a multifunctional device that can provide not only telephone communication or Internet connection, but also the transfer of documents by fax or scanning them.
It is worth mentioning other eight electronic systems. No, not even owners of budget cars are accustomed to ABS or ESP to such assistants. A8 can boast, for example, by warning systems for hazard during rebuilding and monitoring compliance with sloping traffic. The first is arranged as follows: in the rear bumper there are two radars that monitor the space behind the car of the car at a distance of up to 50 m. When another machine approaches the body of the corresponding mirror, the LED block lights up. If the A8 driver, despite these signals, includes a turn signal, the LEDs begin to blink, and so brightly that it is simply impossible not to notice them. Interestingly, the light is visible only from the driver's seat at least my colleague in the front passenger seat, who decided to shoot burning LEDs, had to almost cling to the windshield.

Another system, which has already received some distribution, controls the lanes. When trying to rebuild without turning on the turns, the driver will feel the vibration on the steering wheel. In principle, the system is designed to wake the driver's doomed or distracted from the road, but in practice it is very disciplined in normal situations. True, it bothers quickly. In this case, it is turned off through MMI, you can also choose one of three levels of vibration intensity.
So, the last restyling A8 event is rather forced. More than two years have passed since the facialfing-2005. It seems to be time to bring something new, but to improve a good thing is not easy. In principle, it was possible to add a new 2.8-liter engine in the already impressive gamut, as it was he became the main nail of the program. But why, having made several more visual strokes, do not declare the update and once again spur interest in the eight?
What's new in A8:
- 2.8 FSI engine
- updated radiator grille, fog lights, outer mirrors, wheel discs, rear lights
- several new options for decoration of the cabin, the ability to complete the new package of external and internal lighting
Text: Alexey Tikhonov. Photo by the author.

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Wide gamut of engines: from economical 2.8 FSI V6 to Monster 6.0 W12
Excellent handling and stability
Good equipment even in the basic configuration
Innovative security systems (both active and passive)
Decent comfort, both for the driver and the rear passenger
The presence of all -wheel drive versions

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High price
The wise MMI interface