New-Gen Audi A8 India Launch Delayed; Will Now Come By First Half Of 2019

Audi's much-anticipated flagship sedan, the A8, is now expected to be launched in India by the first half of 2019. The Head of Audi India, Rahil Ansari, told Carandbike.com that India will get the new A8 sedan within next 12 months, on the sidelines of the launch of the new Audi Q5 petrol. While initially the Audi A8 sedan was expected to be launched in India this year itself and infact the company was looking to launch the car by September, the 12-month timeframe mentioned by Ansari indicates that the launch has been delayed and we're likely to see it in the first half of 2019.

The fourth generation of the Audi A8 was unveiled in July last year, followed by its first showcase at at the Audi Summit in Barcelona, and later we even got to drive the sedan in October 2017. Audi has also been testing the new-generation A8 in India for a while now, collecting data on how the car performs on Indian roads, as revealed by the exclusive spy images we shared with you back then.

Also Read: 2018 Audi A8 First Drive Review

Based on the Prologue concept, the carmaker showcased in 2016, the new Audi A8 comes with a bold and sporty design with flat roof dome, upright front end, a high shoulder line and a gently inclined rear. The exterior design is accentuated by a host of smart features like the single frame chrome grille, HD Matrix LED headlights and bold taillamps with OLED technology.

The A8's cabin, on the other hand, has also gone through a host of changes and offers a range of smart and modern equipment that have kicked things a notch higher. The new A8 gets a new and improved infotainment system and carmaker's popular Virtual Cockpit is now part of standard fitment. There are hardly any knobs or buttons for in-car controls and almost everything is accessed by the two screens placed on the centre console. As the car will be mainly a chauffeur-driven vehicle, the A8 L, in particular, gets the optional relaxation seat which features options for adjustment as well as a footrest, on the backrest, of the front passenger seat.

Also Read: New-Gen Audi A8 Wins Luxury Car Of The Year 2018

Globally, the Audi A8 offers three engine options - the 3.0-litre V6 petrol, 3.0-litre V6 diesel and a more powerful 4.0-litre V8, and we have been told that all three engines will be made available, in India. Given the growing demand for petrol cars in India, we believe that the diesel and petrol V6 will be introduced first. The former also gets limited hybrid assistance, thanks to the use of an alternator that doubles as a starter, an arrangement that powers a 48-volt electrical system.