First Drive: Audi A8

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Audi's biggest saloon car, the A8, is only replaced every eight years, so when the time comes for a new one, the company has to make sure it has got everything just right.

Stepping in to the new A8 it is immediately obvious there is a fantastic attention to detail, both in the front and the rear, and there are a host of little touches that illustrate this. Ambient lighting, rear reading lights and hand-sanded and varnished wood panels are just some of the elements that indulge. A central-locking button in the back will be fine for chauffeuring duties, but annoying with inquisitive children as passengers.

As manufacturers seek to reduce running costs, the engines are the big focal point for the A8. A 4.2-litre V8 petrol and diesel sit atop the range for now, but the pick of the lot is the 3.0TDI. With 247bhp and 406lb ft of pulling power, it has plenty of urgency when required and is quick enough to get to 62mph in just 6.6 seconds.