Audi A8 price announced
Audi A8 price starts from £58,800. Available in three trim levels and deliveries start January 2014
The Audi A8 price has been revealed, and the flagship saloon will start at from £58,800 for the entry-level 3.0-litre TDI Quattro model and rise to £79,900 for the high-performance 513bhp 4.0-litre S8 model.
The new Audi A8 features a range of subtle styling tweaks over its predecessor, as well as being fitted with more powerful but more fuel-efficient engines. Exterior changes are minimal but the new A8 features a more sculpted bonnet and a single frame grille. There are also new MatrixBeam LED headlights on top-spec models and the rear bumper has been re-styled to incorporate a pair of squared-off tail pipes.
Three trim levels, SE, SE Executive and Sport Executive, along with seven petrol and turbodiesel engine variants will be available from launch. SE models start from £58,800 and rise to £62,795 for the long wheelbase version and feature larger 18-inch alloy wheels, electromechanical power steering and all-LED headlights. Only the 3.0-litre TDI engine is available in SE spec, with power increasing from 247bhp to 254bhp and the entry-level 204bhp non-quattro diesel has been dropped from the range entirely.
Moving up the range, SE Executive models receive additional parking assistance, keyless entry, power operated boot and larger 19-inch alloy wheels. Engine options include the entry-level 3.0-litre TDI along with a 306bhp 3.0-litre and 429bhp 4.0-litre TFSI petrol engine, both of which receiving a power increase from 286bhp and 414bhp respectively. There’s also a more powerful 380bhp 4.2-litre TDI variant, which receives an added 35bhp. The price for SE Executive models starts at £61,405 and rises to £75,370.
Range-topping Sport Executive models are available with the same engine range as the SE Executive line-up but demand a slight premium, costing owners from £65,005 to £79,570. The top-spec models come fitted with the new MatrixBeam LED headlights as well as a BOSE surround sound system, privacy glass, sports seats and the Audi connect package. The feature brings Internet based services such as Google Earth and Google Street View, plus it also allows occupants to connect to the cars Wi-Fi hotspot.
The £62,900 hybrid A8 remains mechanically unchanged from the outgoing model, pairing a 2.0-litre TFSI engine with an electric motor producing a combined output of 242bhp. A long-wheelbase version is also available priced at £66,865 and is able to return a claimed 44.1mpg and emit just 144g/km of CO2, even if that is some way short of the figures for the diesel and plug-in hybrid Mercedes S-Class.
Audi will also launch a 493bhp 6.3-litre W12 LWB version but the German manufacturer is yet to announce a price for the model. It boasts a claimed 24.1mpg, thanks in part to a newly adopted version of the cylinder-on-demand system, which deactivates six-cylinders when the engine is under low loads.
Order books are open now, with first deliveries for the luxury saloon being made in January next year.
