Move over, poor people! This one doesn’t concern you unless you like drooling relentlessly on big, expensive German saloons! Jokes aside, behold the refreshed Audi A8 (and A8 L). As is the case with mid-life updates, the folks from Ingolstadt have given the limousine subtle design changes and new toys. For the first time, Audi’s offering its flagship sedan in the sporty S Line form. Love shiny things? Audi has thought about you. There’s a chrome package to take the glittery-ness up a notch or two.

Let’s quickly round off the design differences first. At the front, there’s a broader and toothier grille flanked by new headlamps, which feature Digital Matrix LEDs. Accompanying them is a restyled bumper, with a well-defined bottom lip and prominent fog lamp surrounds. The new A8 also dons new alloys (ranging between 18 and 21 inches in diameter), revised taillamps (with OLED technology) and a mildly modded rear bumper. Apart from those changes, the bossy silhouette remains the same.

To add some style into the mix, Audi has injected a choice of five matt colours in the A8’s portfolio. They are – Daytona Gray, Floret Silver, District Green, Terra Gray and Glacier White. Optionally, you can have the car in virtually any colour if you enrol for the Audi exclusive program.

The changes indoors are more function than form. For instance, the infotainment system has been upgraded to run on the latest MIB 3 platform. That ropes in MMI Navigation Plus. In addition, attached behind the front seats’ headrests are two new 10.1-inch entertainment screens, which can be controlled using the touchscreen remote in the central armrest. You can also spec your A8 with optional extras like all-wheel steering, Ambient Light Package Plus, a fold-out centre console and a bar.

There are about 40 driver assistance systems on offer. Besides standard ones, such as Audi Pre Sense Basic and Audi Pre Sense front safety systems, optional ones are bucketed into Park, City and Tour packages. That’s where you’ll find gizmos such as night vision assistant and surround-view cameras, both of which are also available separately.

Depending on the market, the A8 facelift will be available with two petrol engines (V6 and V8) and a diesel mill. Soon, there will be a plug-in hybrid variant as well. In India, however, the limousine is likely to continue with the same 3.0-litre V6, which pumps out 335bhp/500Nm. As standard, all variants will come coupled with an 8-speed automatic transmission and Quattro all-wheel drive. With those in place, the A8 L can hit 100kmph from a standstill in 5.7 seconds.

Audi launched the pre-facelift A8 in India early last year. Expect the new one to land on our in the latter half of next year. That’s when it’ll spice up the fight against the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the BMW 7 Series.