Audi A8 L Horch

The name of the Audi brand’s founder, August Horch, will once again be used to grace a new model, with the introduction of the all-new Audi A8 L Horch. Although the new luxury model will only be offered on the Chinese market at this stage, Audi will monitor customer interest to see if there is an appetite for the larger, specialised A8 L in any other markets around the world.

The A8 L Horch represents the first time the Horch name has been used on a model since the early days of the company’s foundation. The story of how founder, August Horch, used the Latin spelling of his name Horch, for his new company, to arrive at ‘Audi’ is well known, but it is nevertheless a nod to the past in the naming of this new model variant.

The A8 L Horch was announced yesterday at the same time as the revised A8 model range was showcased globally. Based on the new Audi A8 L, the Horch is an additional 130mm longer than then ‘standard A8 L’, measuring an impressive 5.45 metres, which translates into additional room in what is already a very generous, luxurious interior.

The interior will also feature expanded diamond quilting, logo embossing on the cushions, and deep-pile floor mats in the back to impart the exclusivity of this model which Audi expects will make up as much as 20 percent of all A8 models sold in China – a significant customer of the A8 range.

To be produced alongside the Audi A8 and A8 L models at the Neckarsulm site, the Horch model A8 features its own distinctive front grille treatment and subtle Horch-specific badging around the car. Distinctive wheels are also adorned with the Horch ‘H’ and the name likewise appears inlaid throughout the cabin.

The long wheelbase allows for offerings such as the massage footrest and massage seat in the rear which is available globally in the A8 L variant. This includes the heated foot warmer and massage system in the backseat and comprehensive massage system incorporated into the rear seat that uses 18 pneumatic cushions to provide eight different functions with three intensities.

The Horch will be powered by the 3.0 V6 TFSI engine available in other markets in the A8 55 TFSI and of course quattro all-wheel drive and the full range of safety and extensive driver assistance systems will also be available.

The Horch model will also be the first time Audi has offered a two-colour finish in the large, luxury segment.