Audi A8: A limousine for a sporty driver
Primastuti Handayani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The automotive premium market segment in Indonesia welcomes the Audi A8, claimed to be a sporty limousine, amid the fiercer competition among carmakers.
The car still relies on its Vorsprung durch Technik philosophy, meaning advance through technology.
The A8 has the sporty character and design, strengthened with a sunroof and the 19 inch alloy wheel.
It also has the Audi Space Frame (ASF) aluminum technology for the body structure to guarantee its stability at any courses. The ASF also makes the A8 40 percent lighter in weight that resulted in lower fuel consumption. Overall, the A8 needs 11.9 liters of fuel for every 100 kilometers.
Equipped with a 4.2-liter V8 engine, the vehicle will result its maximum power of 335 horse power at 6,500 revs per minute (rpm) and the maximum torque at 430 Newton meter at 3,500 rpm.
It can accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour (kph) within only 6.3 seconds, or equals to the acceleration of the Mercedes-Benz SL500 coupe roadster.
The governed maximum speed, as regulated in the origin country of Germany, only allows the A8 to run up to 250 kph.
The six-speed tiptronic with Dynamic Shift Program and additional sport program enables the gear shift in different speeds. Just like many cars nowadays, the A8 also has gear shift paddle on the steering wheel.
The new feature in the A8 is the Multi Media Interface (MMI). Similar to the BMW newest 5 and 7 series i-Drive, the MMI also enables the driver to control all infotainment functions in the car using a single operating system.
Audi Asia Pacific Product Manager Claus Korger said the MMI can be operating by using a big button, served like a mouse in a PC, and four smaller buttons for different menus.
"The MMI also has a 'return' button that enables a driver to refer to the previous menus by pressing the button only," he said.
Since not all Jakarta's roads are smooth, the A8 can automatically adjust its suspension using the continuously variable damper. The system can also be arranged manually so that a driver can pick four different suspensions from sporty to comfortable.
The key-less entry trend can also be found in Audi as the driver will be able to open the car's door -- within a certain distance for security concern -- even though the key is still in one's pocket.
Launched for the first time in 1994, the Audi A8 has been produced for more than 105,000 units. The new one that enters the Indonesian market is the long chassis of 5.181 meter-long.
Just like other premium brands, the A8 has leather seats and lavish interior to satisfy the owner, who has to spend at least Rp 2 billion (US$238,095) to have the four-ring car.
Audi's sole distributor, PT Garuda Mataram Motor, CEO Susilo Darmawan targeted to sell 18 A8s.
"We have delivered four cars and five more are in the process of delivery. We expect to sell nine others until the end of this year," he said, pointing to a black A8 being displayed that was already sold.
As the rich people usually tend to personalize their car, the Audi A8 is also open for that. Susilo said that an A8 owner would be able to individualize their car up to Rp 600 million more in terms of budget.