If you've always wanted a high-performance luxury sedan but don't want the level of attention such vehicles often bring, then the Audi S8 might be what you're looking for. Updated for the 2022 model year, the S8 features a number of new styling and tech upgrades to keep itself relevant, though this segment isn't as crowded as it used to be due to the rise in popularity of SUVs.

Exterior

What's New For 2022?

The Audi A8 (which of course, includes the S8) is rightfully due for a mid-cycle refresh, which means that the German automaker has given its flagship sedan a slight nip-and-tuck. What you'll immediately notice is its new Singleframe grille, which now has a mesh pattern with a satin silver frame rather than a set of horizontal bars like in the outgoing model. The front bumper has also been redesigned to give it a sportier look.

Not much has changed from its side profile, apart from the new wheel choices that range from 20- to 21 inches. And then towards its rear, the S8 comes with a new set of OLED taillights that are connected by a horizontal bar. These taillights can alert other drivers if they're too close to the S8, plus it also features a wider graphic when the car is in Dynamic mode. Topping it all off is a redesigned faux rear diffuser that's highlighted by a horizontal satin silver bar, and this contains that S8's quad exhausts--a hallmark of every Audi S vehicle.

If you want to give your Audi S8 a more sinister appearance, you can opt for the Black Optic Plus package for $2,100 (as shown), which swaps out all of the satin silver exterior elements for gloss black ones. This also gives your S8 a new set of 21-inch black alloy wheels.

Color Choices

The Audi S8's subtlety is also evident when it comes to its available color choices. Thankfully, all are free of charge, and this isn't always the case with German luxury brands. However, if you find the S8's standard color palette lacking any vibrancy, you can opt for Audi Exclusive's wide range of color choices, which costs an extra $3,900.

Here's the list of colors that the S8 comes with:

- District Green Metallic

- Firmament Blue Metallic

- Florett Silver Metallic

- Glacier White Metallic

- Mythos Black Metallic

- Ultra Blue Metallic

- Vesuvius Gray Metallic

- Daytona Gray Metallic

How Big Is The Audi S8?

Unsurprisingly, the Audi S8's dimensions remain the same. After all, this is just a mid-cycle refresh where only incremental aesthetic changes were made.

Audi S8 Exterior Dimensions

Interior

What's Changed Inside?

Interior changes for the 2022 Audi S8 are extremely modest, and it serves as a perfect example of spotting the difference. Aesthetically speaking, the changes are limited to new materials and trims, with Dynamica microfiber now being offered as standard. This material can be seen on the door panels, interior pillars, and roof lining.

As standard, the Audi S8 is upholstered in Black, Cognac Brown, or Merlot Red Valcona leather, with the front occupants benefitting from Comfort Sports seats with diamond stitching, heating, ventilation, and massage functions. Carbon Vector inlays also come as standard, though if piano black is your thing, you can pay an extra $500 to swap out all of the Carbon Vector trims for the shiny black stuff.

How Spacious Is The S8?

As expected in an S8, the interior room is very generous. Only the long-wheelbase version is offered in the United States, and as a result, there's plenty of room for all occupants, especially at the rear.

Audi S8 Interior Dimensions

Features and Packages

Two rear-seat packages are also available for the Audi S8, which adds a set of amenities for the rear-seat passengers. A more luxurious three-occupant bench seat configuration is good for $4,200, while the more luxurious two-seater configuration is good for $5,900. This is what you get when opting for any of these two packages:

Rear Seat Comfort package (5-Seater Configuration): $4,200

- Heated rear surfaces (door armrests & center armrest)

- Power rear outboard seats with lumbar & memory functions

- Matrix LED reading lights, rear

- Rear outboard seat heating, ventilation, and massage

- Rear seat remote control

Rear Seat Comfort Package (4-Seater Configuration): $5,900

- Full-length rear center console in leather, with folding tables

- Heated rear surfaces (door armrests & center armrest)

- Power outlet, rear center console

- Power rear outboard seats with lumbar & memory functions

- Rear outboard seat heating, ventilation, and massage

- Safety package plus (adds: airbag between rear seats, illuminated rear seat belt buckles)

- Rear seat remote control

Cabin tech also remains largely unchanged for this model year, but that's not to say that the S8 is already falling behind the times. It's still well-equipped by today's standards for a flagship luxury sedan, and the S8 includes the following tech features:

- Audi MMI touch (10.1-inch main screen and 8.6-inch lower screen)

- Audi Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster

- 17-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system

- Wireless charging

- Four-zone climate control

- Ambient lighting

- Panoramic sunroof

For even better sound, the standard 17-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system can be swapped out for a more advanced 23-speaker Bang & Olufsen 3D Advanced sound system for an additional $5,900.

Drivetrain

Power and Fuel Economy

As the flagship of the A8 range, the S8 is unsurprisingly the most powerful in the range. Powering it is a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 that comes with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. This powertrain has a combined output of 563 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 590 pound-feet of torque at 2,000 rpm. In typical Audi fashion, power is sent to all four wheels, and its transmission is an eight-speed automatic. With this powertrain setup, the S8 can sprint from 0-60 mph in just 3.8 seconds according to Audi.

Unsurprisingly, with great power comes great fuel consumption. The Audi S8's fuel economy figures are rated at 23 mpg on the highway, with city fuel economy figures dropping down to just 14 mpg. However, these are, of course, achieved under ideal laboratory conditions, so this can vary based on environmental factors and how you drive. Though, let's be honest, if you can afford a car like this, fuel economy probably isn't your concern.

Audi S8 Drivetrain Specifications

A sport-tuned air suspension comes as standard on the Audi S8, but if you want to make the ride even more luxurious whilst still keeping the body flat when going through corners, you can opt for the Predictive Active Air Suspension for an additional $6,000.

Driver-Assistance

What Are The S8's Standard Safety Tech?

Right out of the box, the Audi S8 comes with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and lane-keeping assist, but if you want the blessing of adaptive cruise control or blind-spot warning, these are part of the Executive Package, which is good for $3,800. If you also want a head-up display and even more sophisticated digital matrix LED headlights, these are also part of more optional packages, which can be seen here:

S8 Executive Package: $3,800

- Adaptive cruise assist with lane guidance

- 21-inch 10-spoke star design wheels with summer tires

- Audi side assist (blind-spot warning) with pre-sense rear (rear automatic emergency braking)

- Intersection assist

- Traffic sign recognition

S8 Comfort Plus Package: $4,700

- Dinamica headliner

- Extended Leather package (door pulls and upper instrument panel)

- Digital Matrix-design LED headlights

- Heated rear outboard seats

- Head-up display

For even better visibility at night, the Audi S8 can be equipped with night vision, which is a standalone option that's good for $2,300.

Price

The Audi S8 has a starting price of $116,900, and this does not yet include the $1,095 destination charge. This, of course, also does not yet consider any of the aforementioned optional packages and features you probably are interested in.

Competition

At least for now, the 2022 Audi S8 doesn't have a lot of direct competition. We still have yet to see the AMG S 63 version of the Mercedes S-Class, while the BMW M760i is the only vehicle on this lot with a V-12. The Maserati Quattroporte Trofeo is a formidable left-field Italian choice, while the Porsche Panamera GTS is the S8's corporate cousin that delivers similar performance, but is arguably the sportiest in this segment.}

This segment has also seen a decline in popularity over the years, and this is mainly due to the rise in the popularity of high-performance SUVs such as Audi's own SQ7, or even the likes of the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63.

Is The Audi S8 The Most Expensive Audi Sedan?

FAQ

Q: Is The S8 The Fastest Audi Sedan?

This depends on how you measure how fast a car is. {{In terms of acceleration from 0-60 mph, the fastest Audi sedan would be the all-electric RS e-Tron GT}}, which has a very quick 0-60 mph time of just 3.1 seconds versus the S8's 3.8 seconds. Both of these figures are manufacturer-claimed.

On the other hand, in terms of top speed, both the RS e-Tron GT and S8 have the same 155 mph top speed.

Q: s The Audi S8 The Most Expensive Audi Sedan?

At least among Audi's traditional sedans, the A8 and S8 are indeed the most expensive, but that's now a title that's taken by the {{e-tron GT, which has a base price of $102,400}}. Unsurprisingly, its high-performance version, the RS e-tron GT, has an even higher base price of $142,400, which is just a few thousand shy of the R8 supercar.

Q: What's The Most Affordable Audi?

On the other end of the spectrum, {{the most affordable Audi is the A3 sedan, which has a base price of $34,800. Likewise, the most affordable performance Audi is the S3, which has a base price of $45,800.}} It doesn't accelerate as fast from 0-60 mph as the S8 at 4.5 seconds, but it's still plenty fast by anyone's standard.