After a few years of car dashboards turning into tablets on wheels, it looks like Audi is ready to go into reverse. The German automaker is announcing that their next-generation interior will rely less on giant screens and more on the return of tactile controls and premium materials that gave older Audi models a distinct sense of quality. This is a significant turnaround for the brand that once led the trend of digitalizing the cabin.
Customers were missing buttons
The decision represents a significant change of direction, as Audi was one of the manufacturers that enthusiastically embraced screen-dominated cabins, getting rid of its prized MMI rotary controller along the way. Now, it seems, they themselves admit what many drivers, especially in the markets of Europe, North America and Australia, have felt for a long time – controls that you can find without taking your eyes off the road are not obsolete, but a key element of safety and driving pleasure.
This trend is supported by the announced changes in security protocols. Euro NCAP, the European program for assessing the safety of new cars, is introducing new tests this year that will encourage manufacturers to use separate, physical controls for basic functions such as turn signals, wipers and horns. The regulator’s move further accelerated a shift in thinking in the industry, which realized that moving everything to a touchscreen might not have been the smartest solution. Criticisms were mainly related to reduced practicality and potentially dangerous driver distraction.
What does the new philosophy bring?
Change, however, will not happen overnight. Models arriving in the next few years, including the new Q7 and Q9, will continue the current dashboard design philosophy. Still, they too give hints of the direction Audi is going, offering real slate stone trim, underscoring a renewed focus on authentic materials. Rouven Mohr, Audi’s chief technical officer, told Australia’s GoAuto that the company wants future cabins to integrate technology in a more discreet way, rather than screens being the main attraction.
“Audi has always been a leader in development in the past infotainmenta. We have always tried to combine the latest technology from the digital world, but in a very subtle, well-integrated way. In the future, we will integrate ‘Radical Next’ interior design… we want to be very subtle with the screen size and haptic elements,” said Mohr.
The first models that will fully embody this new-old philosophy are expected only around 2028, but some changes will arrive even earlier. As early as 2026 models, such as the A5, Q5 and A6 e-tron, Audi plans to replace the touch-sensitive sliders on the steering wheels with physical wheels. As reported by Carscoops, it seems that the company is serious about its intention.
“We believe it is part of our DNA to have some physical elements as well – buttons and turning wheels. And each of them should have the classic Audi click and feel under the fingers,” added Mohr.
A trend followed by others
Audi is not alone in this change of course. A growing number of automakers are reintroducing physical controls in response to customer demands and safety concerns. Volkswagen, Audi’s parent company, has also pledged to bring back more physical buttons. Even brands like Porsche and Hyundai are looking for a better balance between screens and tactile controls.
It is interesting to observe how Audi’s key competitors approach this problem. BMW’s new panoramic iDrive combines an edge-to-edge windshield display with a central touchscreen, but retains the familiar rotary controller. Mercedes, on the other hand, has gone in the opposite direction, turning entire dashboards in some of its cars into giant digital displays known as Hyperscreens.
However, it should be noted that Audi is unlikely to apply the same strategy in all markets. In China, where customers strongly prefer large screens and advanced digital functions, interiors with more dominant displays are expected to persist.