Audi Infotainment System Finally Gets Physical Scroll Wheels and a Cleaner Look

The Audi Infotainment System has been the most criticized part of the brand’s modern lineup, and Audi knows it. Touch-sensitive steering wheel buttons and a sea of glass frustrated drivers for years. For the 2027 model year, the Audi Q6 e-tron and its A6 e-tron sibling get physical controls and a simplified interface. We spent time with the revised setup to see whether it actually works.

Audi Infotainment System Learns Its Lesson

Hardware comes first. Two scroll wheels now sit on the steering spokes, with the left one cycling through gauge cluster screens and the right one handling volume. The haptic buttons remain, but they respond crisply, and the satisfying click makes the wheel feel mechanical again. Simply put, we prefer this to the touch-only setup from Audi.

Software is where the quieter gains show up. Menus are flatter, icons are larger, and the backgrounds are clean, borrowing a page from Apple CarPlay. Touchscreen inputs react quickly, and daily tasks like navigation and audio are easy to manage. Vehicle settings still feel labyrinthine, though. Similar changes have been spreading across the lineup since, including the Audi RS5 Avant, and over-the-air updates now add the Spotify app.

Still, the Passenger Screen Is Overkill

Skip the passenger display. The optional 10.9-inch screen offers limited functions and turns the dashboard into one long slab of glass. It sits inside the $1,800 Technology package on Premium Plus and comes standard on Prestige. On paper, an extra screen sounds premium. In reality, it cheapens the cabin’s clean lines.

Better Buttons, Smarter Software Overall

Ultimately, Audi got the fundamentals right. Physical wheels fix the biggest frustration, and the cleaner menus make daily driving less of a chore. The Audi Infotainment System is no longer an irritation, even if it still has some depth to master. Expect rivals across the industry to watch closely, because this layout is likely to become the new baseline. Read more at Auto News Magazine.

Written By

Liam Campbell

Industry Intelligence & News Editor at Auto News Magazine. Tracking prototype spy shots, Nürburgring development mules, automaker corporate moves, and breaking global automotive scoops.

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