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Audi of America product chief Filip Brabec says Audi has likely taken touchscreen use as far as it can and plans to bring more physical controls into future interiors. He said the approach will extend beyond steering-wheel rollers to climate and door controls, including changes to existing interiors in the near future; Audi has not specified models or dates.
Audi plans to bring more physical controls to its vehicle interiors, product chief Filip Brabec told The Drive, signaling a shift away from putting more functions behind touchscreens. Brabec said Audi believes screens have gone as far as they can and will add tactile controls to future designs and some existing interiors, though the company has not named specific models or launch dates.
In an interview on The Drivecast, Brabec, Audi of America’s senior vice president of product management, was asked whether cars had reached peak screen use and whether conventional controls would return. “I think we’ve again gone as far as we will possibly go,” he said. He also predicted “some correction” in the trend toward screens and said customers would see more tactile experiences inside Audi vehicles.
Brabec described the plan as broader than adding buttons to the center console. He cited climate controls and door controls, and said Audi would apply some of the principles to existing interiors “in a very, very near future.” He pointed to steering-wheel rollers as a possible early sign of the direction, saying they “may be only the beginning.” Audi did not provide a list of vehicles that will receive changes.
The company’s future approach is tied to design efforts it calls Interior Next and Radical Next, Brabec said, referring to work with Audi design leadership. He framed the goal as placing controls where they are useful and making technology feel intuitive rather than adding screens for their own sake. The interview did not spell out which functions will move from displays to physical controls.
Why Audi Is Reconsidering Screens
Audi’s comments concern how drivers will operate common functions in future vehicles. Touchscreens and physical controls offer different ways to adjust settings: buttons and knobs can be operated by touch, while screen-based functions may require drivers to use menus. Brabec did not make a specific safety finding; he discussed the placement and form of controls as part of the vehicle-use experience.
Audi’s plans may be relevant to buyers following changes in vehicle interiors. Brabec said the company intends to use more tactile controls, but Audi has not identified which current vehicles will be updated or whether existing owners can expect changes. The comments do not establish how widely the approach will be applied across the company’s lineup.
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Screens and Audi’s Design Direction
Many recent vehicle interiors have put climate, media and other functions on touchscreens. The Drive report describes that approach as a source of frustration for some drivers, particularly when basic adjustments require navigating menus. Brabec connected the wider move toward screens to electric vehicles and the Chinese market, while noting that Audi’s global product decisions are not always shaped by its U.S. division alone.
Brabec said Audi is part of a global product equation, so the company’s direction must account for different markets. He said the general tendency at Audi is now toward more mechanical controls. The report also points to the Concept C and Nuvolari as indications of the brand’s design direction, but the interview did not provide a production schedule or confirm that either concept previews a specific control layout.
“The general tendency is definitely to more mechanical controls. We absolutely view that as the right thing.”
— Filip Brabec
Models and Timing Remain Unspecified
Audi has not said which models will change, when the revised interiors will arrive, or what specific controls will return. Brabec’s “very, very near future” comment gives no calendar date, and he did not confirm whether changes to existing interiors mean mid-cycle updates, new model years or another type of revision.
It is also unclear how much screen functionality Audi intends to replace with buttons or knobs. The company has described a design direction, not a detailed product announcement. Brabec’s comments reflect Audi’s plans as presented in the interview; no specific production vehicle or finalized control layout was confirmed.
Watch for Audi’s Interior Updates
The next concrete evidence will be Audi’s announcements and reveals of upcoming vehicles and interior updates. Brabec said the company plans to apply the principles to future designs and some existing interiors, but Audi has not supplied dates or a model-by-model schedule. Until it does, the scope of the changes remains open.
Buyers considering an Audi should check the controls and interior layout of the specific vehicle they are interested in rather than assume the planned changes apply to it. Further details on the company’s Interior Next direction, including which functions become physical controls, are still to come.
Key Questions
Is Audi ending touchscreen use in its cars?
No. Brabec said Audi has likely taken touchscreen use as far as it can and expects a correction in the trend. He did not say the company would remove screens.
Which physical controls does Audi plan to add?
Brabec mentioned steering-wheel rollers, climate controls and door controls. Audi has not published a final list of controls or confirmed their placement in specific vehicles.
When will Audi’s changes reach cars?
Brabec said some principles would be applied to existing interiors in the “very, very near future,” but Audi gave no dates or model schedule.
Will current Audi owners receive updated controls?
The interview does not say whether current owners will receive changes. Brabec referred to applying principles to existing interiors, but did not explain which models or what kind of update that means.
Source: thedrive.com
