FUTURE MODELS
Audi’s A8 executive makeover more than skin deep
So much self-driving tech, so much wasted opportunity for Audi’s limousine, writes Michael Taylor
When Audi launched its Prologue 18 months ago, it promised the concept coupe’s crisp new design language would be introduced on the next A8. Well, the next A8 is here and that outstanding Prologue design isn’t. Instead, it looks more like a facelift than the all-new, Prologue-inspired flagship limousine Audi’s supporters hoped would lead the troubled German premium brand out of its design doldrums. Audi promises the limousine will deliver a bunch of new technology when it arrives in SA in the second half of 2018, including an interior claimed to introduce a new level of charisma and groundbreaking level-3 autonomous driving. But whatever happens inside the fourth-generation A8, perceptions of it will be defined by its exterior design, which looks, at best, moderately evolutionary rather than the step-change revolution design boss Marc Lichte promised in 2015. The glasshouse and the roof line look suspiciously like they did on the third-generation A8, while the proportions are typica...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.