Audi A8 Saloon / A8 L (D5 “second facelift” – Model-Year 2025)

Audi’s flagship receives a final update before it yields to an all-electric successor: reshaped bumpers, a wider, flatter Singleframe grille, HD-Matrix LED Digital Digest headlights (1.3 million micro-mirrors per side), tail-lamps with selectable OLED signatures, and the latest MIB 3.5 infotainment running on an 11.9-inch centre screen (plus the 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit). The MLB-evo platform remains, with adaptive air suspension standard, predictive electromechanical 48-V roll-bars optional, and all-wheel steering on quattro models with 20-inch wheels and larger.

Length 5 190 mm, width 1 945 mm, height 1 485 mm; wheelbase 2 998 mm (A8 L +130 mm). Boot: 505 L (ICE), 390 L (PHEV).

PRO

CON

Running-cost sketch 

Price list (OTR)

A8 L +€7 000 (S8 sold only in standard wheelbase). 2022-23 A8 L 55 TFSI with 60 k km trade around €78 k.

Known issues & fixes

Verdict

The updated A8 is no longer the tech-showpiece it was at launch—Mercedes’ W223 S-Class and BMW’s G70 7-Series/i7 now flaunt bigger screens and splashier interiors—but Audi’s understatement, meticulous build and chassis finesse still appeal to executives, fleet managers and discreet luxury buyers.

Comfort & refinement – Few cars insulate occupants this well: predictive air suspension literally lifts wheels over bumps, and the optional Rear Relax seat in the long-wheelbase version offers foot-massage heating—more first-class airport lounge than car seat.

Powertrains – High-milers will still love the 50 TDI: 7 l/100 km at an honest 135 km/h gives 900-plus km on a tank. The 60 TFSI e’s truncated boot is a trade-off, yet chauffeurs can glide through low-emission zones on pure electricity and duck Italy’s horsepower tax. The S8 remains a rare V8 flagship that flicks from limo to grand-tourer at the touch of a button—but fuel and tyre costs are super-car grade.

Technology & ADAS – Level-2+ covers nearly all real-world needs; Audi’s shelved Level-3 “Traffic Jam Pilot” awaits EU legislation rather than hardware. Rivals have flashier displays, but genuine autonomy is still similar across the segment.

Costs & value – Running expenses match a diesel S-Class; complexity (predictive air, 48-V roll bars, rear-wheel steer) makes Audi’s extended warranty (5 yr / 150 000 km) a wise add-on. Strong demand from VIP transport firms and embassies underpins used values for diesel and PHEV variants; the pure 55 TFSI petrol is hurt by Italy’s horsepower tax.

In short, the 2025 A8 suits buyers who …

• prize acoustic isolation, material quality and artisanal attention to detail;

• prefer understated design over XXL screen theatrics;

• spend many hours on motorways and want quattro as a safety net;

• plan to keep the car long-term, banking on proven V6 reliability.

Shoppers chasing a hyper-futuristic cabin, Level-3 on public roads or full-EV credentials should consider Mercedes EQS, BMW i7 or Tesla Model S. Yet the A8 arguably stands as the last great analogue luxury flagship—quietly confident, impeccably engineered, and perfect for those who value discretion as much as precision German craft.