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Peace Keeper

Audi has come up with the perfect solution to evade taxes and still revel in opulence; under the gun it developed a 2.8-litre FSi petrol engine for the A8 model which emits only 199g/km. But does it still have an iron fist under its pretty green glove?

As most car buyers moral conscience is set somewhere near south, the powers that be keep having to up the anti when it comes to CO2 emissions and this time the financial sanctions have hit hard. Despite being happy to fork out £50,000 for a gas guzzling car, a £25 congestion charge slapped on top will make some people think twice. Car tax is also going to go up in 2009 and of course the worst offenders will bare the brunt of it; any vehicle emitting CO2 above 255g/km will pay £455 VED tax on top of the obligatory £950 for the privilege of owning a new car. The upside though is that car manufacturers are fighting to keep us in decadent large cars and to that effect they are working harder to make them cleaner and therefore cheaper to run. Everyone’s a winner, right?

Well there is a small sacrifice with the face-lifted A8 2.8-litre FSi and that’s with the noise of the engine, it’s a bit gruff for a petrol unit especially around town and you don’t get the same vivacious pulling power at low speeds like in the 3.0-litre TDi but the general refinement is good and there’s nothing budget about the standard spec either, you’ve got everything from full two-tone leather upholstery to four-zone climate control, a comprehensive Sat Nav system and a Bose stereo that takes six CDs and is compatible with DAB digital radio. Heated seats are now available throughout the range as is Bluetooth connectivity. On the options list there’s plenty more to spend your extra thousands on like side assist (to alert you to cars in your blind spot when you are changing lanes) and a lane departure warning system which vibrates the steering wheel if you appear to be drifting across lanes.

The A8’s outward appearance is characterised by bi-Xenon headlamps as standard, a modified grille, new wing mirrors and LED tail-lights, there’s also a pallet of new colours available. It has a great deal of presence but the entry level Mercedes Benz S230 looks and is the more expensive rival; it also has an extra 20bhp to play with. The BMW 730i is another very prestigious and very fast alternative however it can only stretch to a combined mpg of 28 whereas the Audi achieves a somewhat angelic 34mpg. It’s zero to 62mph time of 8 seconds is also respectable for a car that even outshines most diesel alternatives in the economy stakes.

The multitronic CVT automatic gearbox is designed to further conserve fuel by not letting the engine over-rev, it proves smooth and well matched but there’s also the choice of steering wheel mounted paddles to give you free reign. Given the additional cladding, the cabin shields out most road and wind noise, the air suspension has also been re-engineered giving it revised dampers, supports and settings. The face-lifted A8 then gets more sensitised steering to give it that immediacy at speed. Then as with the rest of the A8 range, the 2.8-litre V6 model gets aluminium space frame technology which not only helps it’s agility but also contributes to keeping fuel bills lower.

The entry-level petrol model also sheds the weight of its Quattro four-wheel drive system but in doing so it’s 3.0-litre diesel sibling stands to be a much better alternative in wet, gravely driving conditions. It’s not that the standard stability aids aren’t good in the V6 petrol A8 but when it comes to hard driving and keeping up the pace, is the Quattro something you could happily do without? Then again as the miles rack up think of all the money and trees you could be saving!

Verdict

FOR: Decadence that the tax man can’t penalise you for, the interior style, comfort and functionality is also very appealing.
AGAINST: There’s a bit of a trade-off in power and engine noise at low speed.
CONCLUSION: The A8 makes a great company car, ideal for motorway cruising, lavish enough to spend whiling away hours and providing you get it serviced regularly, will withstand high mileage and wear and tear.

Spec

ENGINE: 2.8-litre FSi V6 Petrol
Co2 (g/km)/tax: 199
POWER: 210PS
TORQUE (lb/ft): 280Nm at 3,000rpm
0-62mph (sec): 8.0
TOP SPEED: 147
MPG: /-/-/34 (urban/extra-urban/combined)
TRANSMISSION: Multitronic CVT Automatic
PRICE: £49,995
RIVALS: BMW 730i, Lexus LS430, Mercedes S230, Jaguar XJ6, VW Phaeton