If at any point so far you haven't been moved by my impression of the A8, my guess is its interior will be sure to win you over. It's by far my favourite in the luxury class, and is proof that the fine line between a luxury home and luxury automobile is quickly eroding - in this case a contemporary luxury home. The layout of the interior is fresh and thoroughly modern, trimmed in the highest quality materials this side of a Bentley Continental Flying Spur. Switchgear glides into place with a Teflon-like smoothness and rotary knobs have soft dampened-clicks. Colour selection, one of
Audi's strongest suits, creates a sense of warmth, balancing glossy-finished woods with matte aluminum. As a whole, the A8's interior has the detail of a high-end home audio system, complete with a set of top-tier speakers.
To keep its sophisticated look, the retractable LCD display hides by flipping behind a panel of gloss wood when not in use. Look around the cabin, and you won't spot a big, clunky parking brake lever or cumbersome foot pedal; a simple pull-tab operates the parking brake instead. A pair of scrolling click thumb wheels replaces the small buttons normally found on multifunction steering wheels. Through and through, intelligent German interior design prevails, and, ladies and gents, the minimalism is done right.
It is impossible not to get comfortable in the A8, regardless of where you are in the car. The reduction of wheelbase compared to the A8L doesn't have any critical impact on the rear dimensions, being that it's still roomy enough to stretch out and even cross your legs. Of course, the driver is
pampered to the highest degree, with sixteen-way electrically adjustable seats, and a four-way electrically adjustable steering wheel. If so equipped, the front seats are heated, cooled and feature a massage function to boot, while the rears are also heated.
Aside from a test trial two years ago at the Audi demonstration booth at various auto shows, the A8 was my first encounter with the MMI (Multi Media Interface) system. It's found the perfect bridge between overtly cluttered buttons (MB's Command System) and overly complex minimalism (BMW's iDrive). Critically, Audi has cordoned off areas such as the navigation, audio, dynamics, and telecommunication features of the vehicle which can be controlled through individual buttons that surround the main, alloy-rimmed control knob, though HVAC controls have a separate cluster on the centre console. It may initially seem daunting at first; perhaps more so than a flurry of buttons, but it should quickly become second nature thanks to intuitive menus and the eye-level screen height.
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| To keep its sophisticated look, the retractable LCD display hides by flipping behind a panel of gloss wood when not in use. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
To keep its sophisticated look, the retractable LCD display hides by flipping behind a panel of gloss wood when not in use. Look around the cabin, and you won't spot a big, clunky parking brake lever or cumbersome foot pedal; a simple pull-tab operates the parking brake instead. A pair of scrolling click thumb wheels replaces the small buttons normally found on multifunction steering wheels. Through and through, intelligent German interior design prevails, and, ladies and gents, the minimalism is done right.
It is impossible not to get comfortable in the A8, regardless of where you are in the car. The reduction of wheelbase compared to the A8L doesn't have any critical impact on the rear dimensions, being that it's still roomy enough to stretch out and even cross your legs. Of course, the driver is
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| The A8 was my first encounter with the MMI (Multi Media Interface) system. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
Aside from a test trial two years ago at the Audi demonstration booth at various auto shows, the A8 was my first encounter with the MMI (Multi Media Interface) system. It's found the perfect bridge between overtly cluttered buttons (MB's Command System) and overly complex minimalism (BMW's iDrive). Critically, Audi has cordoned off areas such as the navigation, audio, dynamics, and telecommunication features of the vehicle which can be controlled through individual buttons that surround the main, alloy-rimmed control knob, though HVAC controls have a separate cluster on the centre console. It may initially seem daunting at first; perhaps more so than a flurry of buttons, but it should quickly become second nature thanks to intuitive menus and the eye-level screen height.