Next generation 2017 Audi A8 could use a rear wheel drive layout with a steel composite bodyshell

Sometime in late 2016, when Audi is done giving the flagship A8 luxury saloon a bunch of makeovers, the all new version of the A8 is expected to debut for the 2017 model year. The new Audi A8 is expected to come with one major change that will break away from Audi tradition, a tradition that the German luxury car marque has been following for well over five decades now. The next generation Audi A8 luxury saloon is expected to dump the Quattro all wheel drive layout for a rear wheel drive layout borrowed from the iconic sportscar maker Porsche.

2012 Audi A8 luxury saloon used as an illustration

This will make the next generation Audi A8 the first sedan from the German marque to be available in rear wheel drive guise between the second world war and now. So, that is quite a departure from tradition for the brand which has been swearing by its all wheel drive Quattro layout. The rear wheel drive layout design of the Audi A8 will allow designers to give the next generation version of this luxury saloon a long hood, so typical of the rear wheel drive cars, to make for a more appealing form factor to rival the Jaguar XJs, BMW 7 Series sedans and the Mercedes Benz S-Classes of this world.

The new rear wheel drive platform in the Volkswagen group’s burgeoning line up will be called MSB(Modularer Standardantrieb-Baukasten in VWspeak) and will underpin a range of luxury car models across car brands like Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley and Porsche, as a part of the platform sharing exercise the Volkswagen group has planned for all its car models in a bid to pare down costs and share production facilities. The next generation Audi A8 is also expected to dump the all-aluminum monocoque for a high strength steel-composite body, which will also be lighter.

So, expect the next generation 2017 Audi A8 to not just be a ravishing looker, but a high performer as well given all the weight savings that the new body is expected to give the car. Given that the all new Mercedes Benz S-Class is just around the corner with BMW also expected to update its 7 Series models in the next couple of years, the all new A8 will have plenty of competition to tackle by the time it arrives onto the market. Audi sells the A8 luxury saloon in India as well, and the luxuriously appointed car is available with both petrol and diesel engine variants.

Source CarAndDriver