Review of the new Audi A8 2.8 FSI

The Audi A8 2.8FSI employs advanced engine technology to generate the kind of fuel economy and emissions normally associated with much smaller and less prestigious vehicles. It lacks the excitement of the more powerful A8s but the low running costs and upfront price make it an attractive and relatively green way into a top class luxury saloon.

There's a school of thought that says people won't make environmentally-friendly lifestyle choices in significant numbers unless those choices are made preferable or at least equivalently desirable to the less green alternatives. With the best will in the world, the country's business elite are not about to vacate their luxury chauffer-driven saloons and have Jeeves ferry them about in a supermini fuelled by potato peelings, just for the sake of the ice caps. They might however, be persuaded to downgrade from a gas-guzzling V8 model to something more modest like Audi's 2.8FSI powered A8. This isn't a car that's going to save the planet in one fell swoop but it's emblematic of the tiny steps being made across the industry in the green direction.

Nowadays, even chief executives and chairmen of the board are under pressure to be green. For these captains of industry, the palatial V8 saloon has become a public relations catastrophe waiting to happen but the A8 2.8-litre FSI could be the answer. With 199g/km emissions and 34mpg economy, it's no eco-chariot but it is about as clean as cars in this sector get and it's a whole lot more comfortable than riding a bike.

The 207bhp 2.8-litre FSI petrol engine uses Audi's valvelift technology to achieve its impressive efficiency. This is a progression on from the FSI of Fuel Stratified Injection system that's now utilised across the manufacturer's petrol engine range. FSI precisely controls the quantity of fuel being injected into the combustion chamber and the timing of those injections, to maximise efficiency and performance according to the driver's throttle inputs. Valvelift refines the process by introducing control over the valve opening, further boosting efficiency. The result is a 10% increase in fuel economy and performance that's surprisingly brisk. 0-60mph takes 8 seconds dead and the car will top out at 147mph. Peak torque of 280Nm is produced at 3,000rpm.

"Nowadays, even chief executives and chairmen of the board are under pressure to be green.."

The A8 is extremely refined at cruising speeds with the engines only breaking into a low roar when extended and the standard air-suspension creating a luxurious magic carpet effect. The latest models also benefit from revised rack and pinion speed-sensitive steering for improved feel at the helm. Unlike other A8 models, the 2.8-litre FSI engine is only available in front-wheel-drive form, the reduced weight aiding its ecological and economy focus. Audi does however, offer the Multitronic CVT gearbox with this variant, something which can actually improve fuel economy in comparison to the standard manual 'box.

The A8 has a definite advantage over its luxury saloon rivals in that it's built out of aluminium and this has a big influence on the way the car rides and handles. The Audi is around 100kg lighter than an equivalent BMW 7 Series, even with the quattro four-wheel-drive mechanicals installed, and saves over 200kg compared to a Mercedes-S-Class which, like the BMW, is rear-wheel-drive. These don't sound like massive differences in a 1,800kg car but it's the equivalent of a couple of portly passengers and the A8's lightness helps it achieve a responsiveness and poise on the road and means the engines have an easier time of it.

The interior is a masterclass of Audi design. The A8 flagship was the first car to trial many of the features and themes that have since been rolled out across the marque's model range. Well judged use of chrome detailing, high quality plastics and the class leading MMI control interface give the A8's cabin a degree of style and usability that rivals struggle to emulate. The controls are a pleasure to use from the switch for the electronic handbrake to the dial that controls the headlights: it's all solid feeling and beautifully weighted. Even in the standard wheelbase models give abundant rear legroom and as the sleek, elongated styling suggests, there's a massive boot out back. This is simply a great place to sit out a long journey, whether you're behind the wheel or luxuriating in the rear with your chauffer doing the hard work.

The 2.8-litre FSI unit forms the entry-point in the A8 range and opens at £49,995 in SE guise or £53,145 in the 'Sport' trim that many buyers choose. A environmentally-friendly luxury saloon sounds like a contradiction in terms but dubious though sector's eco-credentials may be, the A8 2.8FSI is still one of the greenest options in it. Audi are making great play of this, pointing out that the environmental benefits the lightweight A8 offers even over the petrol/electric hybrid alternatives. The A8 2.8FSI may not have the wow-factor of a hybrid Lexus for high-profile buyers intent on being seen to be being green but it does the job in that very understated, very Audi way.

The possibility is always there to trawl through the options list and have your A8 delivered with a technology quota to rival your local branch of PC World. One item that stands out is the Audi side assist and lane assist system. It uses radar technology to detect vehicles in the A8's blind spot, alerting the driver by illuminating an LED in the wing mirror. If the driver then indicates to change lanes on that side, the warning LED grows brighter and flashes to attract the driver's attention. Also part of this technology is the lane assist function that uses a small camera to detect the lane markings and sends a warning vibration through the steering wheel if the driver starts to drift across a line without indicating.

The A8 2.8FSI returns 34mpg on the combined cycle and 199g/km CO2 emissions which is better than Hybrid models like the Lexus LS600h and even diesels such as BMW's 730d. Ownership costs for the Audi A8 2.8FSI are likely to be attractive by luxury saloon standards but luxury saloons are notoriously expensive to run. Residual value is the biggest bugbear with the comparatively high upfront price coupled with limited demand on the used market producing the worryingly steep depreciation curve.

All green issues aside, the Audi A8 is a very good car and equipping it with the 2.8-litre FSI engine is the most affordable way to get into it. Sleek and purposeful in its styling, wonderfully composed on the road, the A8 rewards in generous measures whether you're at the wheel or reclining in the rear with a copy of the FT. There's no doubt that the big, powerful engines in the range add drama to the whole experience but the 2.8 FSI model is good enough to allow the A8's considerable strengths to shine through.

Driving a 2.8-litre luxury saloon to work is hardly the automotive equivalent of decamping to an eco-commune in the Welsh mountains where they subsist on lentil soups and wear clothes made out of bracken. It's still a large, hefty motorcar with 199g/km CO2 emissions and 34mpg fuel economy but if you've just gotta have one, Audi's offering is undeniably greener than the 444bhp V8 that you really want.

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