[Test Drive] True beauty found inside for Audi A8 L

Carmaker’s flagship sedan offers more than enough space in back

Audi A8 L 55 TFSI quattro Premium (Audi Korea)

The Audi A8 L series adds more prestige to the German automaker’s already high-end sedan, the Audi A8. The L represents its long wheelbase. As the wheelbase of a vehicle is the distance between the center of the front wheels and the center of the rear wheels, the Audi A8 L lineups offer more space in the backseat. That is where the Audi A8 L model’s true value can be found.

The Audi A8 L 55 TFSI quattro Premium, a revamped model that features an upgraded design, showed where the automaker’s luxury class sedan was headed during a media test drive on Jan. 31.

The first impression that stood out was how long the car was. With a length of 5,300 millimeters, a wheelbase of 3,128 mm, width of 1,945 mm and height of 1,520 mm, the Audi A8 L looked long and slick.

As the wheelbase stretched over 3.1 meters, the backseat behind the passenger seat -- often known as the “CEO’s seat” -- resembled a first-class seat on an airplane. The Korea Herald reporter, who stands at 185 centimeters, was able to lie back and put his feet on the footrest with his legs stretched out all the way. The footrest comes from the back of the pulled-forward passenger seat.

A view from the backseat of the Audi A8 L 55 TFSI quattro Premium (Audi Korea)

Combining Audi’s constant four-wheel drive and a maximum of 340 horsepower and 50.99 kilograms-meter of torque, the vehicle reaches 100 kilometers per hour in 5.8 seconds. Driving the Audi A8 L 55 TFSI quattro Premium in the city felt comfortable and stable. The sedan showed that the ride could feel steady even with fast acceleration and sudden brakes.

Equipped with Audi’s dynamic all-wheel steering, the car offered more convenient handling even when the driver had to suddenly change lanes in a hasty manner.

The Audi Space Frame, a self-supporting aluminum body structure, made the car lighter yet safer. An official at Audi Korea said the materials used for the Audi A8 L and the manufacturing process of the luxury sedan are unmatched.

Despite being Audi’s latest prestige flagship sedan series to be released in the Korean market in October, the new Audi A8 L model has not met the sales figures the German automaker hoped to achieve here. The starting price of the Audi A8 L 55 TFSI quattro Premium is 158.4 million won ($126,900).

By Kan Hyeong-woo(hwkan@heraldcorp.com)