From Dubai, Germany is a long way to travel to write a story on a car’s new headlights. Launching their new luxury A8 model, Audi chose Germany for Auto Trader to put the car through its paces, but, the main story they wanted to convey was the new headlight technology on the car. To be honest I was a little confused: Mercedes had brought out similar technology on the new S Class a few months earlier, so why was Audi so keen to push the story? I managed to corner Stephan Berlitz, Head of Development for Lighting Functions and Innovations at Audi, and asked him that exact question. “The Matrix LED headlights are a perfect example of our lighting strategy. They are three-dimensional, dynamic and interactive” he explained, “The new technology is Audi’s, we started showing this technology years ago on concept cars”. I don’t think he was too happy that I thought Mercedes had pipped him to the punch. It’s all about LED technology and instead of one bulb trying to illuminate a road, as in the past, each headlight comprises 25 high-beam light-emitting diodes, arranged in groups of five per reflector to dazzle the road ahead. Not only do these LEDs brighten the way ahead like never before, they also act as a light curtain that can be opened and closed when necessary, they don’t all need to shine at once. As soon as the camera in the A8 detects oncoming vehicles, the Audi Matrix LED headlights dip the relevant sections of the high-beam headlights. The system operates with such precision that it blanks out light that would shine directly onto oncoming and preceding ehicles, but continues to cast the high beams with full power on all other zones between and beside them. When there is no more oncoming traffic, the high-beam headlights then resume full power, including the sections that had previously been off. The light that the driver sees is always bright – By day, too, they have a very attractive and distinctive look, which is reinforced by the new appearance of the daytime running lights. The A8 has received a minor facelift as it is in the middle of its 7-year lifespan. While the LED technology might be a major plus point it isn’t the only change. New sculpturing to the bonnet and the boot of the car plus a new grille give it a slightly more chiseled appearance. The rear is also new for 2014 with refreshed tail lights and
chrome crease. Luckily, Audi have three flavours of the could still feel the family resemblance. Balanced cornering, good uptake when demanded, smooth road handling and obvious presence due to the size of the car. The serious driver will go for the S8, the more savvy buyer, the 3.0-litre. In the luxury segment all flavours of the A8 matched the demands for opulent cabin interiors, plenty of options and even bespoke tailoring (visit the showroom in Dubai for the future in car buying). Exceptional leg and headroom are taken for granted in an A8, even the seats contort for almost flat bed seating in the rear behind the front passenger seat. The Audi A8 is sheathed in fine leather, with a large choice of Alcantara, carbon fibre or wood finishes. The sound system is excellent and can be configured for opera pitch, R&B base or DVD explosions. The large luxury sedan segment is a tough nut to crack but the Europeans are leading the way. Audi, Mercedes and BMW hold vast market share but of the three it is Audi who is gaining ground. The Mercedes S Class is still way out in front but with Audi finally turning American heads over the 7 Series BMW, the scales might just be tipping in the A8’s favour.
