Audi A8 L 50 TDI Quattro Sport 2022 UK first drive

The range-topping Audi A8 has never achieved the cut-through that most other Audi models have.

Granted, the luxury saloon sector is a fairly small space, and it’s one that’s shrinking at that; plus the Mercedes-Benz S-Class has pretty much had it sewn up since God was a boy. Still, it’s a segment in which manufacturers show off all their shiny new technology that will in time trickle down their ranges; and at this cutting edge, there’s far more than pride at stake and sales charts to top: there is influence to be had and there are reputations to be made.

This revised A8 arrives with no new technology to showcase, though, which is a bit awkward given that the tech-rich new-generation S-Class is being launched in the UK at the same time and we’re just weeks away from the unveiling of the next BMW 7 Series, which will have its first all-electric variant, the BMW i7.

That sounds far more pioneering than a big V6 diesel with a new front grille, some new headlights and a shuff le of the trim levels.

Even so, Audi is making plenty of noise about this round of changes to the fourth-generation A8, launched in 2017. It remains the company’s flagship, after all, and is still a very comfortable and refined car to drive and to be driven in.

A big part of that is down to the 3.0-litre engine of our 50 TDI test car, which is an absolute peach. Back at the Mk4 A8’s original launch, it was billed as the quietest engine that Audi had ever made, and it still operates in gloriously hushed tones today, befitting the A8’s luxury positioning.

It is ultra-refined and has as much power and torque as you are ever going to need in the real world.

These reserves are effortlessly delivered with a minimum of fuss and fanfare through the willing companion of an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

All this while delivering an easy 40mpg. Diesel: it will never catch on. The rest of the package is good, if not quite as stellar. Take the ride. Show the A8 a smooth road and it’s as comfortable and cosseting as any car in any segment. Coupled with that engine, on smooth roads like these, you would be reluctant to swap into anything else after settling into that comfy driver’s seat.

Yet show it the kind of road that’s more common in Britain, with lots of scars, abrasions and lumps missing, and the mask can occasionally slip, exposing the odd thump through the cabin.