Audi’s sumptuous flagship sedan is an old dog that can learn new tricks.
For 2022, the Audi A8 and S8 get a bit of a facelift, and while a car with the technology, luxury, and performance of the A8 and S8 didn’t need one, it certainly doesn’t hurt. The model has been the flagship sedan of the brand for many years, and while it never does a bad job at being the pinnacle of Audi’s luxury, it only has the status it does by innovating and improving wherever it can.
Luxury cars start to show their true prowess in the interior. The new facelifted A8 has plenty of features that will remind you just how luxurious of a car you’re driving, like HVAC vents that only reveal themselves when needed, and are otherwise concealed by the decorative dashboard trim of the car. The new interior also introduces Audi’s new Dynamica material to the car, which was first implemented in the Audi E-Tron GT, and can now optionally be used for the entire roof trim of your A8 or S8.
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And like many luxury sedans, the best seats in the house are the back seats, which can be optioned to have folding wing tables and remote control for changing the seating and lighting settings. The front seats, however, can’t be left out. The new A8 features two touchscreens: one for infotainment and navigation on the top, and another on the bottom for climate control and other comfort settings. With a HUD added to the cockpit, there’s not much the new A8 and S8 leave to be desired.
The S8 performance sedan is an ultimate car, with limousine-level luxury, and performance that is nearly peerless for its class of car. That continues with the facelift, with the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine of the S8 producing 563 horsepower and 590 lb/ft of torque. The A8, not to be left out, has a 330-horsepower V6, producing 369 lb/ft of torque, and both models come standard with Quattro all-wheel drive and advanced air suspension. With legendary luxury and comfort, and even more legendary performance capability like that, the new A8 and S8, starting at $86,500, and $116,900 respectively, are definitely worth the splurge.
