2022 Audi A8 L

Based on what we know till now there aren’t any changes that we expect in the standard features list but we just might get some optional extras for additional prices. The A8 L being the flagship sedan from the Germans gets everything of the highest quality. The car comes equipped with 4-zone auto climate control and leather upholstery as standard on the base trim. Features like soft closing doors and ventilated seats are also among the normals in this format.

The 60 TFSI trim gets a monstrous twin-turbo V-8 engine as a powertrain variant along with much sportier styling and upgraded LED headlights. The optional Upholstery packages extend the luxury upholstery to the door panels and various surfaces. Overall, the A8 can be customized to have leather and Alcantara on every panel possible along with adjustable rear seats and memory function. Think of a feature and you will most likely find it in the catalog.

The hybrid model can also be availed of at $96,895 which is as worthy as its other siblings. As mentioned, if the 2022 model is a continuation of its predecessor, then the safety assurance with the SIDEGUARD Curtain Airbags and Emergency Sos on the inside and Audi active lane departure warning and Front Collision Mitigation on the outside are also going to be as it is as it has ever been. The 17-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system including Android Auto & Apple CarPlay makes the cabin a premium one for one’s interactive session. On the whole, the Audi might just retain its reputation of doing what it has been doing for so many years.

Which trim should you buy?

The car comes with three interesting trim levels and we suggest you get the top-most trim for two reasons. Firstly, you don’t buy a fully-fledged luxury sedan every year and that optional Twin-Turbo V8 does more justice to this machinery than the base engine. Secondly, the $12k difference won’t be much of a hindrance for the buyers of A8 along with some optional packages to make it feel like an expensive yacht. Sophistication at its best and a fine insulated cabin are just the fortes of this trim and ensure a pleasant experience altogether.

2022 Audi A8 L Sedan Release Date

As per the buzz going around, the sedan is expected to be introduced to the market by the fall of 2021 but it is yet to be confirmed. 

When this much money is on the line you just can’t take chances anywhere except for the established emblems like Audi itself. The base trim of the 2022 Audi A8 L will likely come with a 3.0L V6 engine producing 335 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. This mill is plenty fast and will reach 60 MPH in just 5.6 seconds. Just like every Audi production the drivetrain setup is AWD as standard which will be no different in this upcoming model as well, most probably. The 8-speed automatic transmission is smooth and quiet in its shifts which is why it is also assumed to be bolted on the platform yet again. Next up is the 4.0L, Twin-Turbo V-8 engine with 453 hp and 487 lb-ft of torque that empowers the car to complete the 60 MPH sprint in just 4.5 seconds. 

As things are getting greener day by day Audi hasn’t missed the chance to make the most of this situation by offering an additional PHEV trim called the 60 TFSI e Quattro that comes with a 3.0L V-6, the hybrid powertrain produces 443 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque that can accelerate to 60 MPH in 4.9 seconds. The 14.1 kWh battery allows the car to reach speeds up to 85 MPH on the electric power itself and the transition between electric power and gas power happens very seamlessly. If you still want power but don’t want to spend more on gas and on that V8 engine, this PHEV powerhouse seems like the perfect solution. Considering its practicality, we are bound to speculate that this powertrain-drivetrain coupling will too have its relevance in the newer model. 

The A8 L is one of the least powerful cars in the group but that is just comparing the base engines, all the cars do have options to get more powerful thrust so it isn’t an issue. While comparing the base engines, Lexus LS500 performs superbly in acceleration parameters gaining a lead of almost a second over most of its competitors, and has the best top speed of 168 MPH. It is followed by the BMW 7-Series in dragging strips and speed variation per second, the same is not translated in high-speed maneuvering. Moreover, what may be disappointing for some is the power to money ratio of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which is significantly underwhelming.

The Audi A8 L is a big sedan and even though there is a turbo V6 at the base trim with an electric motor, that small electric motor takes care of the electronics and not the fuel economy so we are left with the gas engine itself. The sedan returns the lowest 17 MPG in the city and 26 MPG on the highway among all the nameplates. The Plug-In hybrid takes some pressure off of the gas engine and provides a 23 MPG combined economy. On the other hand, the Twin-Turbo V8 engine offers 15/23/16 MPG in city/highway/combined economy which isn’t bad considering the dip isn’t significant compared to the base engine. Unless Audi does some extra engine tuning we expect a similar number in the 2022 model.

In this league of the elites, we think fuel economy should be the last thing on your mind and it is for these cars at least. Just for the record’s sake, one may notice that the BMW 7-series offers the best fuel economy of 25 MPG among all followed by the S-Class and Lexus. This might be explanatory of the fact that one can relish the opulence and top-notch premium driving experience for some extra miles but more than that expecting nothing would be advisable. The Lexus and Audi get similarly sized tanks and have eerily similar combined range. On the other hand, the Mercedes-Benz gets the largest tank of 22.2-gallons that allows for an appreciable range.

The interior of the Audi A8 L isn’t going to have any changes for the upcoming year it seems to date as the cabin of the current car is a luxurious world of its own. Audi has kept the theme for the A8’s cabin pretty consistent all over these years and overall things seem justified at the first look itself. The materials used in this cabin, like real wood, piano black finished trims, and leather along with Alcantara covers every inch of the interior. No matter where you touch, it will be either leather or Alcantara. There are almost zero switches here as all the climate control duties are done by a dedicated 8.6-inch touch screen.

The front seats are leather upholstered and have immense levels of power adjustments and come with ventilation. The same can be said for the second-row seats and if you want a full-on royal experience the executive package converts the bench into a 2 seat unit that gets features like massage, heating, and ventilation, everything you can have in a car like this. Headroom and legroom on both the rows are very good, even for taller passengers, there will be no problems at all. We can even say that the expected seats and overall creature comforts of the 2022 Audi A8 L can beat the recliner at your home.

All these cars are huge and sit on the top of the segment in terms of interior space, overall quality, and are bound to be amazing. However, the S-Class has almost 3 inches more headroom at the front. Everyone is familiar with the extravagant interior of the Mercedes and if you like that then there is a slight chance that you won’t like Audi’s cabin which is pretty subtle. As for the BMW, it is somewhere in between the Audi and Mercedes in terms of opulence and flashiness whereas the Lexus LS500 has a more dulled-down cabin compared to the rest of the cars. The 2021 7-Series seems to be the more practical option with its cargo capacity of 18.2 cu.-ft, while the Audi performs underwhelmingly in this regard with a total trunk volume of 12.9 cu.-ft. 

Key interior features:

• Nappa leather dashboard
• Twin touch screens for total accessibility
• Audi virtual cockpit 
• 22-way power seats for the front
• Head-up display
• Ambient lighting

What's there to keep you entertained?

The infotainment system is the first thing you will notice after entering the cabin. The main 10.1-inch touch screen handles all the entertainment needs and the second 8.6-inch screen is for climate control. The 17-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system is standard and the navigation is powered by Google. The screens of this infotainment unit are gorgeous and come with a nice resolution. As if all this wasn’t enough, we also get the world-renowned virtual cockpit instrument cluster and the user can control everything on this screen itself if there isn’t any passenger to take care of the infotainment side of things. SiriusXM satellite radio and Amazon Alexa integration are also there for one’s use. Since this is more like a description of the 2021 model which might remain a mirror image in the 2022 model as well.

Key infotainment features:

• Android Auto & Apple CarPlay
• Amazon Alexa integration
• USB ports 
• SiriusXM satellite radio 
• Bluetooth
• 17-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system
• Second-row tablets (Optional)

The 2022 Audi A8 L is going to have some design upgrades for the grille and headlights assembly, though spotting anything under that psychedelic paper wrapping on the test car is difficult. We do know that the chrome grille is going to be replaced with what looks like a honeycomb pattern, this in our opinion takes away the expensive look of the car. The headlight unit receives an array of tiny LEDs on the top side, which is at the bottom of the current model. The rest of the car is supposed to be the same as the current one.

The overall profile of the car is like a typical saloon, long and sleek. There are no body lines whatsoever but there is quite a bit of chrome. A long strip of chrome runs all along the bottom of the car creating a beautiful outline around it. The taillights are slender and that long strip of LED covering the trunk lid does some cool animations when you unlock the car. If sharp body lines or curves are your things, then this car may not appeal to you.

Considering the overall dimensions, all the cars are more or less similar, the A8 L is the widest among the rivals but gets the lowest ground clearance and such a melange in figures is generic throughout the rival strata. Moreover, the BMW 7-Series gets a longer wheelbase that results in better overall high-speed stability. Except for the Lexus, all are on the same block in terms of their weight distribution because of which they will have almost parallel dive, lateral, and longitudinal shifts. 

Key exterior features:

• Matrix LED headlights 
• LED taillights 
• Soft closing doors
• 19-inch wheels 
• Adaptive air suspension
• Panoramic sunroof

Luxury cars don’t get crash-tested by the authorities and the Audi A8 is no exception. Though that does not mean that the car isn't safe as it comes with a plethora of driver assistance features that will help you in tricky situations. The standard feature set isn’t very diverse but the optional extras do make the A8 L a completely safe and sound car for the user. Moreover, the predictive suspension technology detects oncoming side impacts and lifts the car up to 3 inches on the corresponding side, allowing the structure to absorb the impact better. Automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, Adaptive cruise control with stop & go, and Cross-traffic alerts with intersection assist are other touch-ups that are worth mentioning. Though these specs have been there in the 2021 model, there will be hardly any change in such an offering in the 2022 model too.

Key safety features:

• Lane departure warning
• Front & rear parking sensors 
• Surround-view camera system
• Active lane keep assist
• Traffic sign recognition 
• Head-up display
• Blind-spot monitoring 
• Forward collision warning 

2022 Audi A8 L vs 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

The S-Class is a benchmark vehicle in Benz’s catalog and it has some things that it does better than the A8. The engine for instance produces more power and is quicker overall than the Audi. The interior is supremely luxurious but that’s not the point of real comparison here as every car in this segment has that. It’s up to one’s personal preference, if you like the bold style on the Mercedes compared to the more sophisticated Audi interiors, get the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, but bear in mind that it costs thousands more and that is just for the sticker price.

2022 Audi A8 L vs 2021 BMW 7-Series

The BMW 7-Series is a faster and more fuel-efficient option among all the cars. Coming at a very similar price the BMW offers similar luxury features inside but the dashboard design has started to feel old now. Whereas the Audi comes loaded with displays for every task, BMW is still relying on buttons for most duties, given that some people tend to prefer it over complete touch-based systems. The cabin is plush and luxurious no doubt about that but this switchgear setup is not the most sophisticated.

2022 Audi A8 L vs 2021 Lexus LS500

The Lexus is the cheapest option in the comparison and the price difference alone makes it an alluring option. The Lexus LS500 gets a more powerful engine and despite that, the fuel economy is better as compared to the A8. The seats are supremely comfortable and can be adjusted in 28 ways along with heating, cooling, and massaging functions. If you like the dashboard arrangement, Lexus LS500 is definitely a nice option to consider over the A8L.

The 2022 Audi A8L is surely one of the best luxury sedan options considering the spacious interior, potent engine, and opulence it comes with. The technology inside the cabin is the best at the moment in the industry along with the host of safety features it comes with makes it a complete package. The price is steep but once you drive this car with all the features, you won't mind paying that sum. The 2022 Audi A8 L should be an amazing daily driver for people who prefer to be driven around instead of driving themselves.