Audi A8 D4 Test drive since 2010 sedan
Audi A8 L. First grade
Audi A8 L. Price: Not defined. On sale: Since December 2010 Following the basic, A8 Audi displays an elongated version of its representative sedan to the market. Acquaintance with the novelty began for us at the Munich airport. And it turned out not just symbolic, but symbolically doubly
Test Drive
Vladimir Makkaveev, 33 years old, automobile journalist, driving experience of 14 years, personal car - Volvo C30
Franz Joseph Strauss meets our test group with amazing scenery from Audi. Germany raves the new CD with Ingolstadt: the entire facade of the Luftanz terminal will be covered with giant, not as an example of the Audi A1 banner, and on the central square of the airport grew a whole microdistrict for the glory of the baby A1, on which, like graffiti on the Berlin Wall, ticks over the heads of the airport guests Giant letters: The Next Big Audi. The advertising slogan A1 But for us it turned out to be very symbolic: while all of Europe is crazy in the Bavarian small-leaf, a hundred meters awaits us for a short test drive of a real large Audi. The largest that is in the automobile collection of the company of four rings.
Cross with Audi A1, which we tested a few weeks ago in Berlin, in the salon of an elongated version of the representative of the A8 L -mushin A8 L is the same as moving from an economic class interior to the first class of the Lufthansa transcontinental flight and even more. A refrigerator, a luxurious rear sofa with heating, ventilation and massage, from which the owner can also move the front passenger seat the very thing where a navigator or a second pilot is located in the airliner cabin. Charges with an automated stand for the legs, neither to give, to take it migrated from the first-class Boeing 747 cabin, Munich New York flight. And 13 centimeters, which the Audi A8L base grew compared to the standard version, not only gave a new living space to passengers, but also determined a kind of border strip between the automobile business class, which belongs to the Audi A8 and the class of the first A8 LONG.
Soft, but in German, calculated and pedantic 8-speed Tiptronic, all-wheel drive Quattro, amazingly comfortable and at the same time customized chassis, very dense and informative, even by the standards of ordinary road cars, the steering wheel all this driver, of course, may well record At your own expense. But A8 L is still a car for those who are sitting behind the pilot. The last word always remains behind them: for example, it is worth opening the door to the parking door, as electronics will automatically transfer the box to Parking. Although, having swept on the A8 L from behind and in front, I admit, we did not understand one thing: who gets more than pleasure a pilot or passenger?
The 5.27 -meter A8 L is striking not only with its brutal grandeur, but also by the level of intellectual development. Who would have thought that in such a healthy body lies so much mind. Meanwhile, it can be unequivocally saying: A8 L The most high-tech and smart civilian car of all ever created in Ingolstadt. The pinnacle of its artificial intelligence that has no analogues in the serial automotive system MMI Navigation Plus navigation, supplied in the standard for the top version W12. Aviation-space technologies in action! The MMI-Touch touch panel with the handwriting recognition function opens a new way to communicate with the car, allowing you to write a finger on the destination panel. But the MMI Navigation Plus itself goes much further: reading information about the route, it transfers it to the control units of the Communist Party, optics and adaptive cruise control systems with the Stop & Go function. A kind of analogue of an active suspension invented in the F-1 back in the early 90s, but only in a broader sense! Who would have thought that the principles developed 20 years ago for ring racing tracks can migrate on ordinary roads, and even in the bowels of the representative sedan. But this is not all! Google Earth's paid card navigation put an end to disputes about visual perception and information content of cards. It is useless to argue with nature. Especially when nature is so concise integrated into the car. Add here three sound systems, including the Bang & Olufsen system worthy of Mozart’s hearing and Internet access. Audi A8 L The world's first car equipped with an optional WLAN wireless access point on board!
Without compromises
Unlike Europe, in the uncompromising Russian market, elongated versions of the Audi eight traditionally are in great demand than the basic A8. So, last year, Audi Russia sold one and a half times more A8 L than A8. In total, since 2003, 2591 A8 L and 2245 A8 have officially sold in Russia. In relation to the top versions with the W12 motor, statistics are even more indicative: 469/100 in favor of the Long version. Only this year, the balance of sales between the business class and the class of the first in the representative of Audi was somewhat shifted towards the basic version. Which is not surprising: the little A8 was born in the spring, while her elongated twin will appear in car dealerships only by the end of the year. A8 L will be available in Russia in all five existing versions: with engines 3.0 TDI (250 hp), 3.0 TFSI (290 hp), 4.2 FSI (372 l.), 4.2 TDI (350 liters. p.) and W12 (500 hp).
We do not love
The wide handle of the Audi A8 L automatic transmission lever is very convenient and as a support for the hand with the mouse of the on -board computer. Comfortable
Natural landscapes based on the Google Earth space survey paid, but a beautiful option. handsomely
Driving Full -wheel drive tuned in the chassis, excellent stability, extremely high for such a car, the sharpness of reactions.
Salon
Amazing, but does not crush with luxury. Very good selection of lighting lamps.
Comfort
An unusually spacious, but not a bulky salon and an incomparable set of intellectual functions.
Safety
In service with A8 L, new intellectual protective equipment, led by the Audi Pre Sense system.
Price
Not defined (in Europe from 79,900 euros).
Advantages and disadvantages
+ Excellent stability and handling, amazing set of intellectual functions, WLAN, a wide range of engines.
- There is no door closer that would not interfere with the car of this class.
Specifications
Mark and model - Audi A8 L 4.2 FSI
Dimensions - 5267/1949/1471 mm
Engine - gasoline, 4163 cm3, 372 hp/6800 min -1
Transmission - automatic, Tiptronic
Dynamics - Max 250 km/h*; 5.8 s to 100 km/h
Competitors - BMW 7 -Series Long, Lexus LS600, MB S -Class
Our opinion
For Russia, the birth of a new elongated version of the Audi A8 is no less, but rather even more significant than the debut of an updated base model. Sales statistics clearly indicate that choosing between business and the first class, the Russian focus group does not accept compromises.
Author: Vladimir Makkaveev
