Northern Group Car of the Year 2022: Audi A8 Wins Luxury Category

Audi’s revised A8 has taken the top rank in the Northern Group of Motoring Writers’ Car of the Year voting in the Luxury category, putting it into contention for the Car of the Year award later this month.

The A8, which arrived in the UK market earlier this year, beat the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Rolls-Royce Phantom in the member poll to secure the class win and advance to the final six.

Compared to the pre-facelift model the 2022 Audi A8 boasts a larger battery on the PHEV model, at 14.4kWh (net), as well as updates to the driver assists, vehicle lighting, and infotainment — particularly for rear-seat passengers.

For our Car of the Year driving day, Audi supplied a long-wheelbase A8 L plug-in hybrid model, with a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine paired to an electric motor for 456hp and an EV-only range of around 30 miles.

Andrew Evans, the Northern Group’s website editor and vice-chairman, explained why the Audi A8 placed so highly in this year’s voting:

The A8 masterfully combines large car luxury and a sense of occasion with the familiarity and subtleness of a mainstream brand. It’s serene in EV mode, but uncannily agile and brisk when provoked into action, and though comfortably the priciest car in our final six it’s hard to argue you don’t get what you pay for.

With the A8 one of the five category winners available for the driving day near Skipton, it’s in with a shot of taking the overall Car of the Year title.

The results of the secret ballot of judges present at the event will be revealed at the SMMT Test Day North, with the winning manufacturer’s press office receiving the coveted “Arthur” award.