Audi has announced the 2020 A8
TFSI e will be priced from US$ 94,000, plus an extra US$ 995 for destination charges,
when it goes on sale in the United States. While the model costs US$ 8,800 more
than the US$ 85,200 A8 55 TFSI, Audi says customers should be eligible for a
federal tax credit of up to US$ 6,795. That lowers the price difference to just US$ 2,005 and makes stepping up to the plug-in hybrid a pretty wise choice.
The A8 TFSI e features a
turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine, a 14.1 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and an
electric motor that is integrated into the torque converter of the eight-speed
automatic transmission. This enables the model to produce a combined output of
443 hp and 699 Nm of torque. In terms of
performance, the car can accelerate from 0-96 km/h in approximately
4.9 seconds and travel up to 27 km on electricity alone.
This is a significant
improvement over the standard A8 which was a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine
that develops 335 hp and 500 Nm of torque. Thanks
to the extra 108 hp and 199 Nm of torque, the A8
TFSI e will leave the regular model in the rear-view mirror as it’s 0.7 seconds
faster to 96 km/h.
Audi didn’t release full
specifications, but the A8 TFSI e has unique lighting units and standard
19-inch alloy wheels. The model also features a digital instrument cluster and
infotainment system that show plug-in hybrid specific information such as
charging status and available range.
Other features include a
pedestrian warning system and several plug-in hybrid driving modes that can be
accessed using the paddle shifters. The modes enable the A8 to travel on
electricity alone or hold the battery charge until later in the journey.
