Report: Audi Wants to Ditch Interior Buttons, Free up More Screen Space

With Cadillac torpedoing any hope we had that the touchscreen trend might come to swift end, we started digging around to see the latest and greatest interior screen experiences automakers are hoping to push onto the market. The worst offenders cropped up in concept vehicles, though most automakers aspire to equip future models with more screen space than you’ll know what do with — see China’s Byton for an example.

As for less speculative specimens, Audi had us covered. The brand’s MMI Touch Response infotainment system sacrifices physical controls for three rather large interactive displays. Limited to higher-end models (A6, A7, A8, and Q8), MMI groups a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, 10.3-inch central console, and a smaller 8.6-inch display for controlling the HVAC system. Apparently, that’s the interior Audi wants to run with for all future vehicles while it works up something new.

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  • FreedMike Yeah, this trend needs to die a painful death.
  • THX1136 This reminds me of a 'fad' back when I was in high school that was equally silly. A few folks would put spacers in the rear springs to lift the back end of the vehicle to ridiculous heights. We would joke that they must think it makes the car go faster since it feels like you're driving downhill all the time. Dangerous for all the reasons Redapple2 mentions.
  • Arthur Dailey Just a couple of questions. Are you adding a stabilizer to your gas tank as the gas sits so long? Aren't tires usable for up to 10 years after manufacture, rather than 7? And should you wait so long between oil changes? Even with the low mileage can the oil degrade? Eagerly awaiting responses from one and all.
  • Redapple2 I m afraid I d hate the crazy color 2 yrs down the line of a 6 year ownership. So, after dark blues, and dark reds I m back to a wonderful deep, pearly, lustrous white. Looks good at night. In the day. Clean; and when dirty, hides it.
  • THX1136 Some folks down the street from me had a beautiful blue/green Jeep. I stay away from grey, brown, silver and black. Ironically I own a white vehicle at the moment due to not being able to afford the blue one I was considering and not wanting the aforementioned colors. A nice emerald green, most shades of blue (Santa Fe Blue is a favorite) and the 'hotter' colors like orange, purple and yellow appeal, but as KOKing mentioned it's got to look 'right' on the car in question.