2019 Audi A8 priced, Level 3 self-driving tech not coming to US

Audi's A8 flagship sedan has been redesigned and we'll see it in showrooms this fall.

Audi hasn't formally announced pricing but CNET reported Monday that the starting price for the big sedan will be $83,800, excluding destination.

The pricing is in line with BMW's 7-Series and represents a $1,300 increase on the outgoing A8.

The base model will come with a 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 delivering 335 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. Later, V-8, W-12 and plug-in hybrid models will be added. Also in the works is a sporty S8.

Included as standard on the base model will be active air suspension, 18-way adjustable front seats, three in-dash display screens, and full leather trim. The two screens in the center stack serve as the main interface. You'll notice that the familiar rotary pushbutton and touchpad of the previous model is gone.

Unfortunately, CNET also reported that the new A8's much-heralded Level 3 self-driving system, which can handle some parking situations as well as traffic jams on long sections of uninterrupted roads, won't be offered in the United States, at least initially.

The automaker has pointed to the patchwork of various legislation across the states as the cause of the hold up. Right now only a handful of states allow cars to operate in self-driving mode, and often this requires certain permissions, but there's a bill under discussion to create a single national standard for legalizing self-driving cars.

“We can only bring it to market if the regulatory environment will support it, “ Audi spokesman Mark Dahncke told Motor Authority last June.

We've reached out to Audi for further comment on the A8's pricing and included features and will update the post when we hear back.