Audi's new A8 sedan bigger all around

JIM KENZIE FOR THE TORONTO STAR

The fourth generation of the Audi A8 will arrive later this year, longer, wider and taller, and with 22 more hp.

Jim Kenzie

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

CASARES, Spain–Audi stresses that the all-aluminum structure of its flagship A8 luxury sedan makes the car considerably lighter than its competition.

Ironic perhaps then that the press kit they gave us to describe the car's features was a gigantic book that must weigh a couple of kilograms all by itself.

It has to be big to describe all the stuff that is standard or available in this car; it took me almost as long to read it as our test drive did through the hills of southern Spain.

The 2010 edition A8 is the fourth big Audi sedan, although the first, launched in 1988, was dubbed simply Audi V8.

The 2010 A8 arrives in Canada later this year; pricing won't be announced until much closer to intro date, but Audi Canada says it will be "competitive," and, despite more size, power and features, not far off the current model, which starts at $95,000.

More size?

Yes. Apparently the markets that wanted more interior room were the American (understandably; those Yanks tend to be portly) and Asian and the Middle Eastern (odd, given people tend to be smaller there).

So the new car is 75 mm longer, 55 mm wider and 16 mm taller. Increased rear seat legroom is the main beneficiary, although the sleek roofline tends to sacrifice headroom.

Less weight? That's interesting in a number of ways, notably that the body shell weighs just 231 kg, about 40 per cent less than if it were constructed in steel.

But when you do the math, that's only a savings of 165 kg; substantial sure, but 231 kg is less than I would think a body shell this big would weigh. Engine, transmission, air-con system, seats, wheels and tires – they all add up.

The new A8 is a beautiful car, but not in an in-your-face way, apart maybe from the LED lights front and rear.

Inside, it's a different story as it always is with Audi. Drama aplenty: Audi still does the best interiors in the business, and frankly, no one has really come close yet.

My all-singing all-dancing variant for the test featured the heated and cooled "comfort" seats with billion-way pneumatically-adjustable cushions, bolsters and backs. Plus a stunning 1,400-watt Bang & Olufsen stereo, dark- and milk-chocolate upholstery, and something Audi calls "open pore" wood trim, which feels even better than it looks.

New for the 2010 A8 is a pad on which you can trace letters or numerals with your finger, for phone numbers, addresses for the SatNav, etc. It recognizes many languages, including Japanese and Chinese. I, however, found it actually more difficult to use than spinning a dial to pick the letters or numerals.

In most markets a variety of drivetrains will be offered. We'll get only a reworked version of the 4.2-litre multi-valve gasoline V8, producing 372 horsepower (22 more than before) and 328 lb.-ft. of torque, yet uses 13 per cent less fuel, according to European protocols (Canadian numbers not available).

In Europe both 3.0 L and 4.2 L turbodiesels will be offered; there is some hope the latter will be added roster next year.

Whatever the engine, it is mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic.

One huge black mark on Audi's scorecard goes to the new console-mounted electronic shifter. First, while it does provide a handy rest for your wrist while working the MMI, I found it awkward to know the gear position I had selected.

More critical, you cannot slap the lever from Drive into Neutral without pressing on the thumb release button. As regular readers know, this is a huge issue because in case of a incipient skid, you want to be able to instantly decouple the engine from the drive wheels to assist in your recovery without fumbling with a button, and without having to worry about catching reverse or, worse still, Park.

Quattro four-wheel drive is standard, now with a nominal 40/60 front/rear torque split.

Also standard is Audi's sport differential, which can actually spin the outside rear wheel faster than the inside wheel, thereby aiding in cornering and reducing understeer.

The road from Marbella, just west of Malaga, up to Ronda then back southwest to Gaucin and Casares is a favourite for Spanish preview drives, because it is fast, well-paved for the most part, and lightly travelled.

Not having driven an old A8 since last summer and having to rely on memory, I'd say the most evident improvement in the new one is a much quicker turn-in. With the engine hanging out in another area code in front, understeer is almost a given, but the sport differential really does help nudge the car around quick bends much more nimbly.

The big V8 fires the car along smartly, and sounds great doing so.

I didn't think the transmission shift quality was quite as smooth as in the Rolls-Royce Ghost I had driven the week before, but it certainly wasn't worth complaining about.

Again, despite a lack of proper back-to-back comparison, I'd still assess that dynamically, the A8 falls somewhere between its two main rivals: maybe not quite as quiet and smooth as a Mercedes-Benz S-class, maybe not quite as dynamic and sporty as the BMW 7-series.

But it does offer an intriguing alternative to either, with more than acceptable levels of both driving comfort and handling, interior finish second to none, and a bevy of technological developments.

If you're in this market and have never considered an Audi A8 before, you really owe it to yourself to give it a try.

Travel was provided freelance writer Jim Kenzie by the automaker. jim@jimkenzie.com

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