Audi’s A8 range has been updated with a bit of nip here and a tuck there although you would be hard pressed to pick the changes. Changes on the exterior appear to be confined to a very minor re-design of the front bumper, a revised grille design and new door mirrors that now feature turn indicator lights.

New alloy wheels finish of the exterior embellishments and unless you’re an Audi-file this is one update that will pass most of the world by, in plush unnoticed silence.

However, Audi haven’t been that lazy. Their efforts have been concentrated on turning their top-shelf limo into a champion of the environment…sort of. The A8, thanks to its Aluminium design is already light for its size, weighing in around 1700kgs which is lighter than the average Commodore.

By combining the light weight construction with a 2.8 FSI V6 Audi have taken the barge out of luxo-barge. The new V6 A8 is good for 8.3 L/100km and only contributes to our carbon woes at the rate of 199g/km.

The flip side is that the V6 A8 is a little slow, taking 8.0 seconds to reach 100km from a standstill. However, slow, economical and light on CO2 will make the V6 A8 the wealthy tree-huggers toy of choice.

Other changes include revised adaptive air suspension and damper settings, sharper steering, improved sound-proofing and a new warning system that makes the steering wheel vibrate if you drift into the path of an oncoming vehicle.

I’ve got a soft spot for Audi’s at the moment and for a big car the A8 is handsomely styled. Mind you, I’d flip the bird to the environment and get myself the W12 A8. Should I wash my mouth our with soap now…?

Steane