Audi A8 e tron Electric Luxury Sedan with Audi s Flagship Comfort

2025 Audi A8 e-tron: Everything We Know About The Design, Performance And Tech Of The Electric Flagship

2025 Audi A8 e-tron: Everything We Know About The Design, Performance And Tech Of The Electric Flagship

Audi's impressive Grandsphere concept lays the foundation for the next generation, electric A8 flagship

                                        https://www.carscoops.com/author/josh-byrnes/                                    

October 2, 2021 at 13:37

This article contains independent illustrations based on the Audi Grandsphere Concept as well as information weve obtained. The renderings were made by CarScoops artist Josh Byrnes and they are not related to nor endorsed by Audi.

The 2021 German International Motor Show is living proof that large exhibitions can exist in a pandemic-infused era. The Munich show (IAA Mobility 2021) replaces Frankfurt as Europes leading event, emphasizing electrification and alternative mobility solutions.

One standout was Audis Grandsphere concept, the latest in a trio of Sphere show cars previewing the automakers future design direction. Audi has strongly hinted that it will morph into an all-electric A8, so with that in mind, weve envisioned how the production variant could look and explore everything else we know to date.

See Also: Imagining A Future BMW 7 Series Inspired By The E38

Illustrations Copyright Carscoops.com / Josh Byrnes

A Stunning Stance

Compared with rivals from Mercedes-Benz and BMW, the current A8, whilst handsomely restrained, could be considered a bit underwhelming in the aesthetics department. Our design study aims to rectify this by including elements of the Grandsphere concept into a bold, practical package.

Audis singleframe grille has been completely reimagined with chrome highlights that spear towards the wheels. A low hood and slim headlamps exude hints of the R8 supercar, whilst the scalloped doors and upper beltline add to the svelte aesthetic. Whilst not as dramatic as the boat-tailed Grandsphere, the fastback rear end has OLED tail lamps and a floating roofline with sculptured rear buttresses.

At 211 in. (5,350mm) long and 79 in. (2,000mm) wide, with a wheelbase of 126 in. (3,190mm), the Grandsphere Concept is larger than even the long-wheelbase A8

First Class Travel

Audi interiors are arguably some of the best in the business, and the Grandsphere concept is no exception. The show car flaunted technological prowess with projected displays and gesture-based controls. Fortunately, the Ingolstadt automaker has reassured us that future models will retain physical controls for those who prefer a tactile-like experience.

While the concepts steering wheel and pedals retracted into the bulkhead when in driverless mode, Audi said this is not something it plans for production

Taking on an elegant interpretation of the e-tron GTs cabin, the next A8 will bestow improved occupant space, luxury, and sustainable materials. Expect features such as an augmented-reality heads-up display, digital services, a next-generation Audi Virtual Cockpit and dynamic ambient lighting. For the ultimate in relaxation, Level 3 and 4 autonomous self-driving systems could also appear in the latter part of the e-trons model cycle.

Audi describes the Granshpere concept as a private jet for the road

Premium Performance

Underpinned by Volkswagen Groups Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture, the A8 e-tron shares its modular foundations with the upcoming Porsche Macan EV and Audi A6 e-tron. The 800-volt system utilizes a 120 kWh battery pack, which yields an approximate range of 750 kilometres (466 miles) between charges. DC fast-charging up to 270 kW enables an additional 186 miles (300 km) within 10 minutes, while a 5 to 80 per cent charge will only take 25 minutes.

See: Audi Grandsphere Concept Rewrites Next Gen A8s Script, Looks Strikingly Elegant In Munich

Sticking to Audis Quattro all-wheel-drive philosophy, the A8 e-tron will have electric motors on the front and rear axles for the ultimate in torque-vectoring grip. The Grandsphere concept has a total output of 530 kW (700 hp / 710 PS) and 960 Nm (708 lb-ft) of torque for a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of under 4 seconds. This configuration will likely be reserved for the range-topping S8 e-tron, with lower-powered versions also available.

The EQS, seen here in performance AMG 53 trim, is Mercedes-Benzs flagship electric sedan

Rapid Rivals

Audis flagship EV will compete against the hyper-screened Mercedes-Benz EQS, the Tesla Model S, the Lucid Air and BMWs upcoming i7. A variety of variants will likely be offered, including a Maybach-rivaling flagship possibly wearing the Horch name.

An official reveal is not expected until late 2024 or 2025, as the current A8 will be with us for a couple of more years following a mild facelift that will be introduced in the coming months.

Would you consider an electrified A8 over the competition? Share your views in the comments below.

Illustrations copyright Carscoops.com / Josh Byrnes | Live motorshow picture credits Stefan Baldauf / Guido ten Brink for CarScoops

Audi A8 2023 review: 50 TDI

Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with?

With an entry price of $202,700, before on-road costs, the A8 is in the thick of it amongst its full-size primo sedan competitors from Europe and Japan. Specifically, BMWs 740i MHEV ($272,900), the Lexus LS500h ($195,920), Maserati Quattroporte GT ($210,990), Mercedes-Benz S450 ($244,700) and Porsches Panamera ($207,800).

By definition, a luxury car should be loaded to the gunwales with features that make life on the road that little bit easier. And aside from the performance and safety tech well cover shortly, the highlights from a very lengthy standard equipment list are - 20-inch alloy rims, metallic paint, adaptive cruise control, digital matrix LED headlights, digital OLED tail-lights, full keyless entry and start, power-assisted door closing, power boot lid (with gesture control), a panoramic sunroof, heated, ventilated and massaging electrically adjustable front seats, heated front armrests and extended leather trim (centre console, door rails and armrests, steering wheel and upper dashboard).

The A8 has an entry price of $202,700, before on-road costs. (Image: James Cleary)

Also included are ambient interior lighting (with 30 colours and six colour profiles), four-zone climate control, electric sunblinds for the rear and rear side windows, Audi Connect navigation and multimedia (with voice and handwriting recognition), wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, 17-speaker 730-watt Bang & Olufsen audio (with digital radio) and a colour head-up display.

Theres a lot more, and the A8 can hold its head high in terms of pricing and features relative to its $200K price tag and the competition.

Explore the 2023 Audi A8 range

Is there anything interesting about its design?

The A8 is close to 5.2 metres long, yet instantly recognisable as an Audi thanks mainly to its evenly weighted proportions, gently curved roofline and overall high-waisted design. Worth noting its drag coefficient (Cd) is an impressively slippery 0.25.

The characteristic look is accentuated by the brands signature, six-sided grille, in this instance highlighted by a matrix of high-relief chrome accents. And typically angular LED Matrix headlights sit either side.

Check out our video review for the carefully orchestrated animation they run through when the car is unlocked.

The A8 is close to 5.2 metres in length. (Image: James Cleary)

The car looks equally svelte and contemporary from the rear, with just the right amount of chrome lifting the tone and multi-spoke 20-inch rims filling the wheel arches nicely.

As youd expect, the top-shelf look and feel continues inside with the seats trimmed in aniline leather, perforated on the front and outer rear positions, with genuine hide also covering the centre console, door rails and armrests, steering wheel and upper dashboard.

Fine grain ash wood inserts sit alongside brushed metal elements and a meticulous attention to detail is obvious everywhere.

The top-shelf look and feel continues inside of the A8. (Image: James Cleary)

For example, the interior door handle design has been thoroughly thought through, requiring a simple underhand tap to open the door, rather than the more conventional, and ergonomically convoluted, over the top movement.

Three sleek screens dial up the tech - a 10.1-inch multimedia interface at the top of the centre stack, an 8.6-inch display below it for heating and ventilation, and a 12.3-inch version of Audis Virtual Cockpit in the instrument binnacle.

And the spacious rear is the epitome of cool, calm Teutonic form and function. You feel relaxed the moment you get in, and isnt that the primary aim of a car like this?

How practical is its space and tech inside?

Space is luxury, be it a large house, a first class seat or a spacious car, and at nearly 5.2 metres long with a close to 3.0m wheelbase the Audi A8 measures up.

Even before you get in, the doors have an amazing sense of solidity and quality. Its like opening and closing a bank vault if that huge circular door had a power-assisted soft-close function.

Theres copious amounts of space for the driver and front passenger with lots of storage including a lidded box between the front seats, complete with a two-piece longitudinally split top design, so you can sneak your halfs open without displacing your neighbours elbow.

Theres copious amounts of space for the driver and front passenger in the A8. (Image: James Cleary)

The door bins are decent but there isnt a specific cut-out for bottles, so its more a case of laying them down than standing them up. Theres also a handy covered cubby at the end of the door armrests.

The glove box is a good size and there are two cupholders under a pop-up cover in the centre console.

Of course, the back is where space really counts, and theres as much room as youd find in, well a limo.

The A8's fold down centre armrest features a 5.7 inch OLED display. (Image: James Cleary)

Sitting behind the drivers seat, set for my 183cm position, I enjoyed copious amounts of head, shoulder and legroom.

There are electric sunblinds for the rear and rear side windows, controlled by buttons in the door as well as the rear seat remote, a 5.7 inch OLED display housed in the beautifully trimmed fold-down centre armrest (which also has a soft close function!). The remote also allows adjustment of the lighting and climate control. Classy.

Theres a shallow storage box and twin cupholders in the armrest, medium size door bins and hard shell pockets on the front seat backs. The rear armrests also feature a small lidded cubby.

• The A8 has 505 litres (VDA) of boot capacity. (Image: James Cleary)
• Storing the bulky CarsGuide pram in the boot was no hassle for the A8. (Image: James Cleary)
• Theres a handy netted section behind the left wheel well and a cargo net is included. (Image: James Cleary)

In terms of connectivity and power options theres wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a USB-A and USB-C in the front, and an identical pair in the rear, as well as a 12-volt socket in the front and two in the back.

Boot volume is a useful 505 litres (VDA) and the lid is electric, with gesture control. Its able to easily swallow our three-piece luggage set or the bulky CarsGuide pram. And while the rear seats dont fold theres a ski port door to accommodate long items. Just make sure you use the tie-down anchors in the boot to ensure theyre properly secured. Theres a handy netted section behind the left wheel well and a cargo net is included.

Maximum towing capacity, for a braked trailer, is 2.3 tonnes (750kg unbraked) and in more good news, the spare is a space-saver rather than the increasingly prevalent inflator/repair kit.

What are the key stats for its engine and transmission?

The Audi A8 50TDI is powered by a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 engine sending 210kW (from 3500-4000rpm) and 600Nm (from 1750-3250rpm) to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission (with Tiptronic sequential manual shift function) and Audis quattro constant all-wheel drive system using a self-locking centre differential.

It also features a 48-volt electrical set-up for mild hybrid functionality built around a belt connected starter/generator, AC to DC converter and a 48-volt lithium-ion battery.

With energy recovery of up to 12kW from regenerative braking, it enables the A8 to regularly coast with the engine switched off and helps the extended stop-start system to operate smoothly.

The Audi A8 50TDI is powered by a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 engine. (Image: James Cleary)

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What is its fuel consumption? What is its driving range?

Audis official fuel economy number for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 6.6L/100km, the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 emitting 175g/km of CO2 in the process.

Over a week of city, suburban, and some freeway running we averaged 11.1L/100km, which is acceptable for a 2.1-tonne luxury sedan.

Also worth noting the standard stop-start system works beautifully thanks to the 48-volt starter/generator.

Youll need 82 litres of diesel to fill the tank and using the official number, that translates to a range of just over 1240km, which drops to around 740km using our real-world figure.

Audis official fuel economy number for the combined cycle is 6.6L/100km. (Image: James Cleary)

What's it like to drive?

Despite extensive use of aluminium in the ASF platform and body panels, the A8 tips the scales at a sturdy 2095kg, yet Audi says the A8 will accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 5.9 seconds. And with 600Nm of peak torque available across a flat plateau from 1750-3250rpm this big four-door gets up and goes hard when asked to.

At more sedate speeds youre occasionally reminded theres a diesel engine under the bonnet, with that characteristic engine and exhaust noise only making their presence felt under pressure.

In fact, under normal circumstances, noise, be it the engine, tyres or wind is minimal, thanks to a combination of the cars aero-efficient shape, thick acoustic glass and other sound-deadening measures throughout the car.

The A8 50TDI wears 20-inch alloy rims. (Image: James Cleary)

The eight-speed auto transmission is suitably smooth, with the central shifter or wheel-mounted paddles able to make snappy sequential manual shifts.

There are four drive modes in the Drive Select system - Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual - enabling tweaks to the steering, transmission, throttle and suspension. Comfort felt most appropriate most of the time, although dialling up the throttle and transmission to more aggressive modes in Individual adds an enjoyable edge.

The suspension is five-link front and rear with an adaptive air system smoothing even high-frequency bumps and ruts amazingly well.

Push into a corner and the A8 feels nicely balanced, its wide track, sophisticated suspension, plus the quattro AWD system seamlessly distributing drive between the front and rear axles, keeping the big body under control. In fact, you feel the big car shrinking around you syndrome from the get-go.

The A8 has a mix of digital and physical controls. (Image: James Cleary)

The steering is precise without being overly sharp and road feel is good. Again, with that 2.1-tonne kerb weight in mind, braking is appropriately powerful with big ventilated discs front (350mm) and rear (330mm).

It pays to remember the turning circle is 12.5m, and its worth picking your spot for a U- or three-point turn.

Although theres a lot going on for the driver in terms of screens, buttons and switches it all makes sense ergonomically. The head-up display is helpful and theres a common sense mix of digital and physical controls, the latter including an audio volume knob. Yes.

Warranty & Safety Rating

Basic Warranty

3 years / unlimited km warranty

ANCAP Safety Rating

What safety equipment is fitted? What safety rating?

Even though the A8 hasn't been assessed by ANCAP, as you might expect, it goes to town when it comes to active safety tech, the cars standard crash-avoidance features including auto emergency braking (AEB) (pedestrians/cyclists - 5.0-85km/h, vehicles - to 250km/h), Active Lane Assist, blind-spot monitoring, a reversing camera and 360-degree view (including kerb view function), front and rear parking sensors, Collision Avoidance Assist (steering assistance in critical situations), Turn Assist (monitors incoming traffic when turning right), and rear cross-traffic alert.

Theres also Intersection Crossing Assist, Attention Assist, tyre-pressure monitoring and an Exit Warning System (detects cars and cyclists when opening doors).

The A8 is yet to be ANCAP tested. (Image: James Cleary)

If all that isnt enough to avoid a crash the airbag count runs to nine, including front and side bags for the driver and front passenger, side airbags covering the outer rear passengers, full length curtains and a front centre airbag to minimise head clash injuries in a side impact. A first aid kit, warning triangle and high visibility vests are also on-board.

There are three top tethers for baby capsules/child seats across the back seat with ISOFIX anchors on the outer positions.

What warranty is offered? What are its service intervals? What are its running costs?

The A8 is covered by Audi Australias five-year/unlimited km warranty, which is now par for the luxury market course, and 24-hour roadside assistance is included for the duration.

Paint defects are also covered for five years, with rust (to the point of perforation) covered for 12. Nice.

Service is required every 12 months or 15,000km with a five-year capped-price plan for the A8 coming in at $3830, or $766 per year. Thats a fair wedge but not outrageous for the category.

Verdict

The Audi A8 swims in a luxury car shark tank where those paying the big dollars expect top-shelf everything. It delivers a serene driving experience whether youre in the front or the back, in a superbly engineered and executed luxury sedan package. Not perfect, but very, very impressive.