2022 Audi A8 spy photos show lightly updated sedan

While the current-generation Audi A8 has only been on sale in the United States since the 2019 model year, Audi isn't letting it sit around. One of our spy photographers caught this example out testing with minimal camouflage. It shows that Audi has a facelift coming very soon that is technically mild, but makes a big difference in the car's appearance.

Most of the changes are in the front fascia. The most striking is the grille design. Instead of slats, the grille has adopted a sort of mesh, with the corners of each opening featuring angles similar to those of the overall grille shape. On either side of the grille are new headlights. They now have fang-like extensions on the outer edges. Those extensions are angled to match the outboard grilles below, which look similar, but not identical to those on the current S8. Note, this prototype is not an S8, since it lacks any sort of fancy exhaust tip at the rear.

As for the rest of the car, it's pretty much unchanged. The taillights might have slightly more stylized lighting elements, but it's barely different if at all.

We're expecting these changes to appear on the 2022 Audi A8 as part of a model year update. It will probably have the same powertrain options, including the base turbocharged 3.0-liter V6, eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive, while the S8 will continue with its turbocharged 4.0-liter V8. Look for a reveal in the next few months.