Page 84 - Motor Trend (January 2020)

Finalists

PRO Quiet, plush ride • Executive rear seats • Crisp infotainment CON Engine needs more power • Light, numb steering • Screens show fingerprints
turbocharged V-6 is adequate,
Audi A8L with the mild hybrid system ironing
out the powerband. It comes
well paired with an eight-speed
he Audi A8L is a grande automatic transmission. The A8L
dame of a flagship sedan in effortlessly accelerated to 120
Ta shrinking segment, but it mph with barely a peep from the
knows how to treat its declining engine. Once at speed, it felt like
cohort of customers right. it was cruising on a boulevard. But
Audi is known for its sharp, this is a car that weighs almost
tech-forward interiors, and this may be the executive lounge in 5,000 pounds.
elegant cabin doesn’t disappoint. the back. The seats recline almost Why such a merely acceptable
The A8L has a mix of rich and flat with a single touch, and the engine? Lieberman theorized
soft materials, open-pore wood, bottom cushion slides forward. the clout of the economy-over-
glossy trim, black perforated- The rear seats also offer myriad performance Chinese market
leather seats, and Alcantara controls, body and foot massage, might hold sway over product
in the doors and headliner, all fancy screens, and a DVD planning decisions. Markus appreciated the engi-
beautifully finished. Wood panels changer. “Everything you touch As for the A8L’s interior, the neering behind the 48-volt active
slide up dramatically to reveal and interact with oozes quality,” outside world barely registers suspension but couldn’t detect it
hidden air vents, and the steering Ogbac said. in this cocoon. “It might be in action. Lane keep assist is easy
wheel squares off at the bottom The interior has a sense of the quietest car in the world,” to find and use, but, as Loh noted,
with a place to rest your thumbs timelessness and a “lot of subtle Theodore said. The suspension it weaves like a drunk.
on a long drive. intellect,” Callum said. To his skims over any imperfections. But Perhaps Audi stretched
On the telematics side, designer eye, the A8L is perhaps it also delivers light, somewhat the platform a bit too far for
surround-view camera images the most attractive sedan in the numb steering and “a floating ride this car to be appropriately
and graphics are crisp, and segment (and yes, that counts his akin to a bygone era,” Theodore powerful and dynamic. But it fills
Google Earth pictures in the own outgoing Jaguar XJ). added. In city driving, it doesn’t the role of a comfortable and
Virtual Cockpit screens are However, there was a bit of come to a limousine stop and then beautifully appointed cruiser or
stunning. The infotainment system disagreement in this aspect. accelerate smoothly away. a chauffeured ride.“This car is to
doesn’t bury controls deep into Theodore lamented that although Rechtin initially described be enjoyed and experienced, not
menus, it has wireless charging, the A8 may be perfectly executed, the A8L experience as “luxury hustled,” Walton said.
and occupied USB ports and its heart is bland. Loh was even without soul,” performing well Perhaps Theodore summed
power outlets alert you if you’ve harsher, saying it has “all the but devoid of thrill. After more it up best: “I drove around as if
forgotten a device when you power, the authority, the sex time, he admired its precise and I were a chauffeur trying to get
exit the vehicle. Thoughtful. Audi appeal of Angela Merkel.” calculating nature, labeling it away from the bad guys without
sweats the details. The 335-hp, 369-lb-ft 3.0-liter “stealth luxury.” spilling my boss’ glass of wine.”
The best seats in the house Alisa Priddle

SPECS 2019 Audi A8L Quattro
Base Price/As Tested $84,795/$123,045
Power (SAE net) 335 hp @ 5,000 rpm
Torque (SAE net) 369 lb-ft @ 1,370 rpm
Accel, 0-60 mph 5.4 sec
Quarter Mile 14.0 sec @ 99.8 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 108 ft
Lateral Acceleration 0.89 g (avg)
MT Figure Eight 25.9 sec @ 0.70 g (avg)
EPA City/Hwy/Comb 19/27/22 mpg

Vehicle Layout Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan Engine/Transmission 3.0L turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6/8-speed automatic Curb Weight
(F/R Dist) 4,943 lb (54/46%) Wheelbase 123.1 in Length x Width x Height 208.7 x 76.6 x 58.5 in Energy Consumption, City/Hwy 177/125 kW-hr/100 miles
CO2 Emissions, Comb 0.88 lb/mile

84 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2020