| First Drive | Malaga, Spain | 2010 Audi A8 |

Satnav that talks to the gearbox. The new A8's transmission knows more about the upcoming corner than you do and shifts accordingly. Thinking about that I pose the question to one of Audi's engineers that the A8 could be optimised for the Nürburgring via the satnav, giving 'ring novices the change to shine. He laughed saying they drive it without nav on, which isn't a bad idea, as for all the A8's technological advances underneath it all it's a much improved driver's car too.

In the Metal

I've never really been convinced by Audi's glitzy LED lights, though it has become a brand identifier - even though everyone else is at it now too. The A8 can be had with fully LED units, with all sorts of cornering and approaching car automatic adjustment. The A8's is defined by its LED-equipped face, but it's all a bit forgettable from those lamps back. It's something of an amalgam of A4 and A5, blown up to accommodate its luxury proportions. It's not discretely classy like its predecessor, not does it stand out enough to be bold; it sits somewhere in the middle ground.

Forget the exterior though - it'll grow on us I'm sure - the interior is where it's at with the A8. It's beautiful, especially when finished in unpolished matte effect wood. It complements the metal inserts and polished plastics for the knobs and buttons. There's an improved MMI interface too, which could have been designed by Apple such is its simplicity, while a pad beside the cool gearshift selector allows you to input satnav info by spelling it out with your finger. Clever stuff, but it's the quiet, restrained and unerringly finished elements of the cabin that really grab you.

What you get for your Money

Launch cars include a 3.0-litre V6 TDI, a 4.2-litre V8 TDI and 4.2-litre petrol. The two V8s are hugely tempting, but the majority of UK sales will inevitably be of the 3.0-litre TDI. It costs you £54,760, its V8 TDI big brother £61,640 and the 4.2-litre V8 FSI petrol £63,690. All are around 20 percent more economical than the cars they replace, which is impressive given that the A8 was always among the greenest cars in the class. All are currently quattro models (i.e. four-wheel drive) and all come with an eight-speed automatic transmission. HDD navigation is standard, as is that clever MMI touch interface, 18-inch wheels, air suspension, Bluetooth telephony and double glazing. You can go mad with options though, Audi offering everything from massaging seats to Pre Sense - the latter containing that predictive function that allows the transmission and satnav to communicate.

Driving it

The A8 excels at cosseting comfort, its refinement at speed quite remarkable thanks to virtually imperceptible wind, tyre and engine noise. Being a luxury car that's to be expected; what's not is its ability to deliver fun on more challenging roads. Previous A8s have lost out to more sporting rivals in the past, but Audi's chassis people have done a remarkable job with the new car. There's precision to its reaction to input, the A8 now running with the best of its German and British rivals when the roads get twisty.

Fiddling around with the various options for suspension and steering reveals little feel from any of the steering settings, the more dynamic choice merely adding weight without any increase in communication. That's a small complaint, as otherwise the chassis impresses. There's plenty of grip too, the A8 feeling more rear driven than ever. The eight-speed automatic shifts quickly and smoothly most of the time, though it sometimes gets a little jerky when downshifting at speed - depending on the setting.

The V8s are both sub six-second 0-62mph cars, with the petrol model actually the slower of the two. A large part of that is down to the 4.2-litre TDI V8's massive 590lb.ft torque output - the forces so great that Audi has fitted this version with its usually optional sport differential. For all the pace of the V8s it's the six-cylinder 3.0-litre TDI that will make up the bulk of UK sales though.

Its 3.0-litres produces 247bhp and 405lb.ft of torque, which is more than enough to haul the A8 along without feeling like you'd want one of the bigger engine choices. It's particularly satisfying to look down at the range and see the huge numbers on the readout. A 22 percent improvement in the A8 3.0-litre TDI's economy is down to the addition of a stop-start system among other tweaks, the big saloon returning a very impressive 42.8mpg and 174g/km on the official combined cycle.

Worth Noting

That A8 quattro 3.0-litre TDI might return planet-friendly numbers, but Audi will also offer it in front-wheel drive, 201bhp guise with 47.1mpg and 159g/km combined economy figures. Fret not power hungry executives: although nobody's saying anything official yet, there'll be an S8 model joining the range too.

Summary

Audi's A8 is a big step forward for Audi. It's not only technically advanced, but that innovation is supremely integrated and doesn't detract from the driving experience; it enhances it. The styling and a small boot are our only reservations; otherwise Audi has propelled the A8 from a luxury anomaly to a serious contender for class honours.