Audi A8 L 60 TDI review, test drive

Audi A8 facelift gets a big V8 diesel under the hood. But is the larger heart worth the extra cash?

Published on Jan 16, 2015 12:54:00 PM

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Speaking of the gearbox, the ZF-made eight-speed unit cycles smoothly through the cogs and is quick to skip down even three gears if the need be. But overall, the 'box is programmed to up shift early and take full advantage of the motor’s big reserves of torque.

What we didn’t like much is that the accelerator feels a bit sticky and is a bit tricky to modulate. The first few millimeters of the pedal feel like a dead zone and if you weigh down on it, the A8 tends to suddenly lunge forward.

While straight-line performance is fantastic, the A8 TDI is, after all, a big luxury sedan and doesn’t effectively mask its weight around bends. Sure, the four-wheel-drive layout gives the A8 an abundance of grip and this makes it an incredibly quick point-to-point sedan but even when you engage ‘dynamic’ mode (this stiffens the suspension, quickens the steering and alters the differential setting), the A8 doesn’t turn into a car you’ll want to attack corners with. I found myself leaving the Audi in Comfort mode for most of the time as this makes the big A8 ride in a soft, plush manner.

Should I buy one?

The A8 60TDI starts at Rs 1.23 crore; that’s around Rs 10 lakh more than a similarly equipped 3.0 TDI. Frankly, the A8 3.0 TDI is more than adequate for all practical purposes and that makes this car seem a bit over the top. Simply put, if you’re going to be strictly chauffer driven, you’re better off saving the Rs 10 lakh but if you like getting behind the wheel every now and then, the A8 60TDI will make the additional price seem worth it, every single time you mash your right foot into the footwell.