Latest-gen limo from Ingolstadt now deserves some attention from punters of the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
When it comes to luxury saloons in Thailand, nothing beats the Mercedes-Benz S-Class for image, desirability, comfort and technology.
And it has been like this for years in a country looking up to the three-pointed star marque.
Within a similar timeframe, BMW has been trying in vain to make the 7 Series a credible opponent for the S-Class by also building it locally for competitive prices.
The latest effort came in the guise of a plug-in hybrid to match.
Of course, there are some other rivals in this class like the Jaguar XJ and Lexus LS.
But as Jaguar has no assembly lines here, the XJ needs to be imported in completely built-up form.
That’s why the Jag is around 1.5 million baht dearer than the 7 Series and S-Class when specified with a similarly powered 3.0-litre diesel.
The LS is even in a worse position. Apart from needing to face high import duty, the lack of an engine displacing less than 3,000cc means the highest in excise taxation resulting in 10 million baht-plus prices.
There’s actually one more player in this particular segment that has been trying over the years to gain some attention but not with much success: Audi A8.
And now it’s back again in fourth-generation form via the new Audi distributor in Thailand.
However, Audi has a similar fate like Jaguar and has some difficulty in pricing the A8 competitively against its two compatriot rival brands.
Because of that, the Thai Audi office has conveniently shunned diesel (plug-in hybrid is coming next year) and opted to stand out from the rest with pure petrol power.
There are two versions of the long-wheelbase A8, both equipped with 340hp 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6, eight-speed automatic and all-wheel-drive.
Premium goes for 6.799 million baht and Prestige, whose rear two-seat layout matters in this country, asks for an extra 1.2 million baht along with some other added features.
The A8 definitely isn’t cheap and shows how difficult it is to be priced competitively against those Thai-built opponents.
Which means that the semi-autonomous driving tech the A8 has been given abroad isn’t available in Thai-spec models, although that can’t be entirely a bad thing given that these limos are mostly chauffeur-driven.
In spite of this, the latest A8 is hugely capable when it comes to pampering the occupants. The stretched wheelbase of this Audi (called A8 L in full) yields acres of rear legroom to basically stay level in this class.
Better are the cushy seats (available with cool-air ventilation and massage function in Prestige, as tested here) that feel more cosseting to sit in than in the 7 Series and virtually as good as in the S-Class. This should be quite an important facet for potential buyers here.
An array of digital interfaces, some with haptic touchscreen function, adorn the A8’s interior and are easy to use after some time of acquaintance.
There’s even touch-sensitive operation for opening and closing the air-con vents and helps contribute to the classy and hi-tech feel of the well-finished cabin.
Some may find the V6 petrol option a little old-fashioned these days, but it works just right in the A8 and is actually coupled to a 48V mild hybrid system to enhance fuel economy whenever possible.
There’s plenty of power at all times. Floor the gas pedal and the six-pot motor remains smooth and quiet and suits the luxury car bill well.
Owners of the semi-electric 7 Series and S-Class who rarely plug in their cars at the end of the day can always find good reason to like the A8’s performance.
Since Audi doesn’t have a rear-wheel-drive platform (bar the R8 supercar), the A8 comes with Quattro all-wheel-drive to stand out against the main-selling 7 Series and S-Class.
Four driven wheels certainly help give the A8 a planted feel to the tarmac at all times, even when approaching its governed top speed.
Combined that with quiet powertrain and good external noise suppression, the A8 is a nice place to be in when cruising on the highway.
In the typical fashion of luxury cars these days, there’s a drive-mode selector to alter the values of the air suspension, steering and powertrain response. The most laid-back setting yields a soft ride and some slack in the steering.
Most people should find this reasonable enough and it would only take a driving enthusiast to switch to more aggressive modes.
If there’s one thing that could have been clearly better for all is the secondary ride that occasionally thumps over sharp bumps.
While this is a subjective assessment, the A8’s appearance feels tidy overall. But it could had have more arresting proportions because that’s what makes an S-Class “grand” in the eyes of potential luxury car buyers in Thailand.
As said earlier, the A8 has been trying for so many years to attract attention and it clearly deserves some now because the basic ingredients are there. It’s comfortable to sit in and drive and nearly feels like a proper flagship saloon from Audi.
In fact, the A8 arguably comes closer than the 7 Series in matching the S-Class for outright comfort. Now, that’s only if you can accept the price premium the A8 commands in obligatory Prestige grade.
