Jeff ManneringAudi Middle East CEO
At the end of November this year, the United Arab Emirates began selling the new flagship Audi sedan - the A8 L Quattro, which impresses with its power, grandeur and, at the same time, sophistication. “The Audi A8 lineup will be the most important line of Audi cars in the Middle East region for us in the next 5-6 years,” said Jeff Mannering, CEO of Audi Middle East. “According to our experts, this series will become a real bestseller over this period of time. We expect at least a four-digit increase in sales.”
The interior design of the A8 L is excellent in every sense. The quality of the finish is simply amazing, the wood inserts have their own unique pattern and color, they occupy not only standard places in the cabin, but even those that are usually trimmed with plastic in other executive cars, for example, the dashboard. Positive emotions enhance light colors used in interior decoration. A light leather interior pleases the eye much more than a dark one. It not only visually enlarges the already huge internal space, but also creates a relaxed and joyful atmosphere.
Comfort of movement is provided by comfortable soft front seats, which in the basic configuration change their position in eight directions with the help of servos. However, the number of adjustments can be increased by installing more expensive, but comfortable chairs, in which the inclination of the top of the back, the support in the hips and lower back, the height of the head restraints, etc., will change to become what you and your body need, and for the most demanding customers there is even a seat with massage function. Passengers sitting in the rear are in no less comfortable conditions than the front ones. The rear seats are adjustable in several positions, and can also be equipped with a massage function.
In addition to controlling the window blinds and windows and constantly moving the front passenger back and forth, those who are sitting in the back can turn on the heated seats or control the four-zone climate control.
Back to the main functions that the driver controls. On the one hand, everything that is possible in the A8 L is present, detailed information on fuel consumption, distance traveled and other operating moments is displayed on-board computer, while the 7-inch LCD monitor "manages" all multimedia space. On the other hand, no informative overload is felt, there are no wild number of buttons, sensors, control lights, inscriptions, and everything else that can bother or make you read a long time. The solution, like all ingenious, turned out to be simple and convenient and even got its name - Multi Media Interface (multimedia interface), which includes the aforementioned color screen, which is hidden in the center console and, if necessary, smoothly leaves it, and several buttons on the center a tunnel led by a joystick, which navigates through the menu.
Driving an Audi A8 L is even nicer than just being in it. The stunningly soft air suspension has 4 degrees of adjustment. In the “Lift” mode, the ground clearance increases to 145 mm, “Comfort” means that the height from the ground to the bottom of the car will be 120 mm, the third mode, “Dynamic”, is designed for movement at high speed - in this case, the clearance is 95 mm that provides greater stability, due to the displacement of the center of gravity, and fuel economy, due to less aerodynamic drag. The last mode, “Automatic”, itself regulates the suspension height, depending on the speed of movement: if the speedometer needle passes beyond 120 km / h, the suspension automatically lowers as soon as deceleration to 70 km / h occurs, the A8 L again becomes higher.
The salon is tightly protected from the outside world and extraneous sounds. The steering features crisp response and stunning lightness thanks to the Servotronic electronic power amplifier. At night, the headlights equipped with a “turning light” help drive the car: when turning or moving along a curved path from the side, additional lighting is switched on, so that in the dark, you can see a large area in front and on the sides of the car.
The “Tiptronic” 6-speed automatic transmission with manual control functions like a modern variator, without jolts and hesitations, allowing you to clearly control the speed-setting process. The new A8 L weighs only 1850 kg, thanks to a lightweight aluminum body made using Audi Space Frame technology. This limousine picks up a hundred kilometers per hour in just 6.4 seconds, plus all-wheel drive - another indisputable plus of the German sedan. As they say, there are no friends for the taste and color, and therefore, someone likes the appearance of the Audi A8 L 4,2 Quattro, someone doesn’t. Nevertheless, Audi is the only manufacturer of executive sedans that has managed to maintain the fundamental nature of the body and the formidable appearance, explaining to everyone on the road with whom they are dealing. The version with an extended base is 13 cm longer than the “regular” A8, due to which its wheelbase is increased by the same amount that gives the body more stability and increases the comfort of the passenger compartment for all passengers. In a word, the new A8 L Quattro is a different car from others, whatever one may say!
