Audi A8 gets updated styling, new Horch variant for China

Audi has updated its A8 flagship sedan, tweaking its exterior styling and adding a new super-luxury Hoch variant exclusively for the Chinese market.

At the front, the base of the car's Singleframe grille is now widened. Also new are the side air intakes, which now sit more upright.

There's also a new S line exterior package for the Audi A8, which reshapes the side air intakes at the front with ones that take their inspiration from those on the S8.

Four new exterior paint colours and five new matt finishes are now also available for the Audi A8.

Supporting that new grille is Audi's Digital Matrix LED head lights, which utilises approximately 1.3 million micromirrors that break down the light into tiny pixels. This allows it to be controlled with maximum precision.

The technology allows the A8 to cast a particularly bright carpet of light onto the cars lane, for more intuitive driving within the lane for the driver at road construction sites.

Also standard for the A8 are its digital OLED taillights. These mean customers will get to choose between two light signatures for their car, or three if they opt for the S8.

The digital OLED rear lights also come with a proximity indication feature which automatically lights up all elements once another vehicle comes within two meters of a stationary A8 from behind.

In the cabin, there are now two new 10.1-inch displays with full HD resolution attached to the backs of the front seats. These can display content from passengers' devices and can receive numerous audio and video streams via casting, including from well-known streaming platforms or TV media libraries.

A rear seat remote, which is now firmly mounted to the center armrest, will allow many comfort and infotainment functions to be controlled from the back seat. The control unit, with its OLED touch display, is about as big as a smartphone.

Those that opt for an A8 L will also be able to opt for the relaxation seat package, which adds a back massage with 18 pneumatic cushions and electrically adjustable comfort headrests for the rear seats, on top of an optional continuous center console that can be had with optional fold-out tables.

These come on top of four-zone deluxe automatic air conditioning, and the new screens in the rear. Dynamic all-wheel steering and predictive active suspension continue to be offered for the A8.

Also new for this updated A8 is the introduction of a China-only Horch variant of the A8 L. 130mm longer than the regular A8 L, the Horch variant adds additional chorme touches on the exterior on top of a larger panoramic roof, badges, a Horch emblem on the C-pillar, a special wheel design, and will be available with a two-tone exterior paint finish.

In the interior, the super-luxury model gets expanded diamond quilting, logo embossing in the cushions, and deep-pile floor mats in the back.