Audi A8 L Interior Review: Outdoing Opulence!

If you look at the improvements in luxury cars in terms of driving dynamics over the past few decades, you will notice that the closer you are to the present, the smaller the improvement. Why? Well, because there is not much room for improvement in something already good. So, automakers are now focusing most of their efforts on increasing the luxury quotient of cars by improving the in-car experience. To that end, the real innovation today is happening in terms of the digitisation of the cabin. But, then, it can be easily overdone, and you might end up with a car that would seem to be designed to suit a screen and not the other way around. Audi’s flagship sedan, the A8L, falls in the latter category. In fact, after spending quite a bit of time inside it, I can safely say that Audi has hit the nail on the head in terms of striking a balance between classic luxury and modern digital displays.

Audi A8 L Interior Review: Getting the Basics Right

Regardless of where you sit inside the A8L, you cannot but have an extremely comfortable experience. What’s impressive is the isolation you get from the outside world. Once you are inside, it’s easy to forget how bad and poorly built our roads can be, thanks to its magic carpet-like ride. Even the sound isolation is great. Together, they make the A8L a great place to take a nap, really. Trust me on this one!
What’s more, if you happen to be seated in the back behind an unoccupied front passenger seat, you can fold it away to create enough space for more comfort than most airport lounges.

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Audi A8 L Interior Review: Technology Seals the Deal

Now, it is the attention to detail that elevates the overall experience to another level. For example, when you open the door to get inside, that side of the car is raised through the air suspension for your convenience. And once you are in, it graciously settles down to its original height. And yes, there are quite a few screens inside, but for key functions, like controlling the volume, you get a physical knob, and I simply cannot emphasise enough how easier they are to use as compared to a touch-based HVAC control. You even get a physical dial for steering-mounted volume control. And that’s not all, you can even adjust the haptic feedback of the screens, and the ac vents rotate 180 degrees inwards when closed and sit flush with the dash.

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Moreover, there is a screen in the rear armrest that pops out and can control almost ever feature of the car, including the blinds and sunroof. 

And you can do so while being laid back, stretching your legs all out and resting it on the footrest and choosing one of the many massage packages that are available, each of which can be adjusted for intensity and the focus area where you want the massage to be, including your feet. You can even equip the A8L with a cooled storage compartment for the rear seats which can hold two one-litre bottles along with additional storage space for cans and glasses, and have them inside a temperature setting ranging from -6 degrees to +6 degrees.

Audi A8 L Interior Review: Verdict

You get the idea – the A8L is filled to the brim with features. Now, the thing is that once you have enjoyed all this and more that the A8L has to offer, you’d find it very difficult to get out of it. As I realised this difficulty while stepping out – rather unwillingly, I must add – for I had to return the A8L back to Audi.