These days, most luxury car buyers prefer bulky SUVs. However, for more discerning, comfort-craving car shoppers (especially those who seek enthralling driving experiences), a rapid first-class sedan holds special appeal. If you’re such a person, then read on, because the Audi A8 might be the best of the breed…
We like: Handsome looks, fantastic cabin, hard-hitting performance, great ride/handling balance
We don’t like: Eye-wateringly expensive (and that’s before options!)
Fast Facts
- Model Tested: Audi S8
- Price: R2 537 500 (November 2021, before options)
- Engine: 4.0-litre biturbo petrol V8
- Power/Torque: 420 kW/800 Nm
- Transmission: 8-speed automatic
- Fuel efficiency: 10.7 L/100 km (claimed)
- 0-100kph: 3.8 sec (claimed)
- Top speed: 250 kph (limited)
- Luggage capacity: 505 litres
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Where does the Audi S8 fit in?
It’s rare to test a luxury car these days that isn’t an SUV. The S8 offers sophistication and style in an understated manner.
The current (D5-generation) Audi A8 debuted in 2017, but the S8 was only launched late in 2019 for the 2020 model year. BMW’s M version of its 7 Series, the V12-engined M760Li xDrive is (still) listed with a stratospheric R3.3-million price tag and Mercedes-Benz has only just launched its new S-Class on local soil – “hot” AMG derivatives have yet to be revealed. Still, for roughly the same outlay as an S8, you can get a BMW 750Li xDrive or a ‘Benz S500 L 4Matic. What all of this means is that the Audi S8 is quite unique in the local market, because it is a high-performance limousine not only in terms of “trim”, but also outright capability. Priced from around R2.5 million before options, it will appeal to a select few buyers who demand the best possible combination of sizzling performance and exquisite luxury.
Use the Cars.co.za Compare Tool and see how the Audi S8 stacks up against its rivals
How the Audi S8 fares in terms of…
Design & Packaging
The interior may be familiar to many other Audis, but it’s the trim work on the doors and seats that lift the feel of the S8’s cabin.
Finished in sinister black and riding on (optional) anthracite black, diamond cut, 10-spoke 21-inch wheels, “our” Audi S8 immediately reminded the test crew of the fast Audis featured in action movies such as Ronin and The Transporter. The standard A8 is a handsome machine, but Audi’s designers have discreetly endowed the sportiest A8 with its own visual character. The sizeable wheels fill the sedan’s arches with purpose and the body appears to be stretched low and tight over its corners. Several onlookers commented that it was an infinitely more elegant and desirable solution to high-performance luxury motoring than an SUV… It’s particularly attractive from the rear, where the OLED rear lights (part of an R80 000 lighting package) illuminate in a mesmerising sequence when the car is unlocked.
Open the door and you’ll probably notice that the car lifts slightly on its active suspension to make ingress easier. That is providing you’re not distracted by the visual delight that is the current-gen Audi A8/S8 cabin, of course. This may very well be the most striking cabin in its segment, which says a lot, given the strength of the competition. It’s been a while since we’ve experienced a car interior with predominantly light grey upholstery and carpeting, but the hue works well with the multitude of gloss-black panels and satin silver detailing. Build quality, as we’ve come to expect from Audi, is superb. It is, overall, a tech-laden cabin, which is awash with digital displays and touch-sensitive panels. Gone are the days when “luxury sedan” equated to burr walnut trim and piped cream leather upholstery…
Though the S8 is undoubtedly a big car with a capacious cabin (with sufficient rear legroom), note that in South Africa. at least, its same-price rivals are only offered in long-wheelbase guise. That said, if you’re looking at an Audi S8 specifically in the first place, we’re quite confident that the tighter rear confines won’t be a deal-breaker. You do still get a 505-litre boot should you need to, er, transport stuff…
Performance & Efficiency
There’s plenty of power available with a twin-turbo V8 under the bonnet.
With 420 kW and 800 Nm on tap from its twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine, the S8 is significantly more powerful than its same-price rivals (in South Africa) from BMW (750Li) and Mercedes-Benz (S500 L). Audi claims a blistering 0-100 kph time of 3.8 seconds, which is really quite something, given the S8’s not-insignificant kerb weight of in excess of 2.2 tonnes! Top speed is limited to 250 kph.
While the German limousine’s powerplant does emit a pleasing roar when tasked to deliver full or near-maximal acceleration (courtesy of automatically actuated flaps in the exhaust system), the most impressive aspect of the S8’s performance is just how effortless it feels. It’s a very smooth engine, which, coupled with active noise cancellation technology, facilitates relaxed – yet devastatingly fast – progress. The 8-speed automatic transmission also seems very well matched with the engine, delivering buttery-smooth, but eminently precise, shifts.
Audi has also sought to improve the S8’s fuel efficiency by fitting the sedan with cylinder-deactivation technology as well as a mild hybrid system (MHEV); the latter consists of a 48V belt alternator and additional lithium-ion battery. The system allows for coasting with the engine switched off, fast restarting and an extended start/stop range. Audi says that fuel savings of “up to 0.8 litres per 100 km” is possible and the combined cycle consumption figure is given as 10.7 L/100 km. That’s a very optimistic figure, though… you’re more likely to see indicated figures of around 13 L/100 km.
Ride & Handling
For a car with such a long wheelbase and hefty curb weight, its ride management systems do an amazing job of keeping it comfortable yet engaging to drive.
Now we’re getting to an area in which the new S8 has arguably made the biggest strides. In the past, fast, large, all-wheel-drive (quattro) Audis were often criticised for offering “wooden” ride qualities and handling characteristics that presented little in the way of excitement to serious driving enthusiasts. For this new S8, Audi has thrown every possible bit of tech in its (extensive) armoury at the problem. For the record, keep in mind that the goal here is to offer superlative ride comfort at most times, but also engaging dynamics (when the S8’s driver wants to drive their car enthusiastically). That’s a tall order.
The S8 features what Audi calls “predictive active suspension”. With this system, each wheel can be independently lifted or pushed down via electromechanical actuators. According to Audi, this makes it possible, for the first time, to actively control the trim of the body, in any driving situation, which greatly reduces pitch and roll. Now add a front camera that scans for the road surface ahead for larger irregularities, and the Ingolstadt-based firm’s standard-bearing sedan is said to be capable of altering its suspension settings “predictively”.
Of course, the driver can still set the parameters within which the system functions, by choosing between 5 driving profiles in the Drive Select system, including Comfort+ (it even works to minimise lateral acceleration/occupant lean) and, at the other extreme, Dynamic, which minimises the maximum roll angle during fast cornering to only 2.5 degrees (in its default setting, the roll angle is double that).
Another boon to the S8’s dynamic abilities is the fitment of dynamic all-wheel steering, which is claimed to improve steering response and facilitate a tighter turning circle. A standard sport differential actively transfers torque between the rear wheels during cornering, countering the tendency to understeer that, to reiterate, plagued fast, big, all-wheel-drive Audis in the past.
Does it work? The new S8 certainly has a suppleness its predecessors lacked and its body control is markedly improved. Given its size and heft, the Audi’s not exactly nimble, but it exhibits an admirable keenness to turn in and change direction. By pressing a few “buttons”, a driver can transform the S8 from a luxury cruiser (with delightfully light controls) to a machine that really doesn’t mind being hustled.
Comfort & Safety features
The S8 doesn’t lack any features or convenience offerings (if you’re willing to specify a lot of optional extras).
We put the word “buttons” in quotation marks in the final sentence of the previous section to highlight the general absence of such rudimentary switches and toggles in the S8’s thoroughly contemporary cabin. Most of the controls have now been integrated into the pair of touchscreen panels that dominate the centre console. The lower section houses the climate control functions, while the rest of the car’s infotainment and setup controls are located in the upper display. Audi has mastered combining slick, clutter-free touch panels with the tactility of haptic feedback.
Given the S8’s market positioning and price, it goes without saying that it would take a considerable amount of time to stipulate all the sedan’s standard features, but it’s worth noting that an extensive optional extra list is also offered. In fact, our test unit was specified with more than R470 000 worth of options!
Stand-out features (fitted as standard) include the individually contoured comfort sports front seats with adjustable side bolsters and heating/ventilation (a massage function is optional). The standard infotainment package offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, as well as a charging pad and a Bang & Olufsen audio system, but more extravagant features can be specified at extra cost.
We do appreciate that Intelligent Park Assist, an excellent 360-degree camera system and a head-up display are included, but given the S8’s lofty price tag, adaptive cruise control (with speed limiter) ought to be standard. Having to pay extra for a lane-keep system and traffic-jam assist in an R2.5-million car, when similar features are stock in Chinese SUVs costing less than R500k, is food for thought.
How much does the Audi S8 cost in South Africa?
Priced at R2 537 500 without options (November 2021), the Audi S8 is a very exclusive product, but it’s worth pointing out that it significantly out-punches its direct rivals from Mercedes-Benz and BMW. That said, note that our test unit was additionally specified with around R470 000 worth of options; the most expensive item was the Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System with 3D sound for R137 000.
The base price includes a 1-year/unlimited km warranty and 5-year/100 000 km maintenance plan. Services are according to the on-board indicator and at a maximum of 30 000 km apart.
Verdict
The sedan segment appears to be slowly fading away, but there are some great cars to be had if you don’t want an SUV. The S8 is one of them.
For once, it was refreshing to drive a luxury performance vehicle with a sedan – as opposed to an SUV – bodyshell. There’s an air of good taste, sophistication and “class” about this Audi S8, which we found highly desirable. We wonder for how much longer brands will continue to offer wonderful machines such as this, and we certainly don’t expect Audi to sell many, but those discerning buyers who do take the plunge will slide in behind the ‘wheel of the best large luxury, high-performance Audi we’ve ever experienced. If this is the last hurrah of the high-performance limousine, it’s a rousing send-off.
