An Audi of America executive says the push toward screens has gone about as far as it can. He didn’t say which cars would change or when, so don’t put a car purchase on hold over it.
Filip Brabec, Audi of America’s senior vice president of product management, told Joel Feder on The Drive’s Drivecast, in an interview published Nov. 11, 2026, “I think we’ve again gone as far as we will possibly go.” Feder had asked whether screens would be walked back, and Brabec added, “we will see some correction in that trend.”
What Brabec actually committed to
Not much. He said the general direction at Audi is “definitely to more mechanical controls” and called that “the right thing.” He said the steering-wheel rollers are “maybe only the beginning.” And he said Audi will “apply some of these principles to our existing interiors in a very, very near future,” including “some of the door controls.” He said “principles,” not buttons.
He gave no list of cars, no model year and no date, and he noted that Audi of America is part of a global equation where “we don’t always have the strongest voice.” He called the Q7 and Q9 “a preview of where we’re definitely going with our center console designs,” which points at future consoles rather than a list of cars. The same interview also produced a conditional answer on the next RS 6 Avant, covered in what Audi really said about the RS 6 Avant.
Our take: a direction, not a schedule
Audi has said this kind of thing before. CEO Gernot Döllner told Motor Trend in March, “We learned that we put too much into touchscreens.” A separate report points further out. Edmunds wrote in June that Rouven Mohr, whom it called Audi’s incoming chief technical officer, said the brand will change its interiors starting with models arriving in 2028. That is a later, bigger redesign, and its timeline doesn’t match Brabec’s “very, very near future.”
The clearest change you can already buy is the steering-wheel scroll wheel, a roller you turn for volume and menus.
What is physical on Audi’s cars today
| Model | Physical controls | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 A5 and Q5 | Scroll wheel on the steering wheel replaces the previous touch-sensitive interface | Audi of America release, Jan. 20, 2026 |
| 2027 Q6 e-tron and A6 e-tron | Scroll wheel returns for volume and MMI menu selection; Car and Driver reports a left wheel for the gauge cluster, a right wheel for volume, and haptic (touch-sensitive) buttons still on the wheel | Audi of America release, Feb. 5, 2026; Car and Driver, Nov. 7, 2026 |
| 2027 Q9 | Volume knob and a strip of console buttons; climate and vent controls on the touchscreen | Ars Technica and The Drive hands-ons, May 11, 2026 |
Audi’s own Q9 press text doesn’t describe the volume knob or climate controls, so that row rests on those two reports.
Shopping an A5, Q5, Q6 e-tron or A6 e-tron now?
If touch-sensitive steering-wheel buttons annoy you, don’t wait on Brabec’s promise. Audi says every 2026 model-year A5 and Q5 and every 2027 model-year Q6 e-tron and A6 e-tron has the scroll wheel, and Car and Driver said it prefers the new e-tron wheel to the old touch-only one. Car and Driver also noted the Q6 e-tron skipped the 2026 model year, so there is no 2026 Q6 e-tron to look for, and any Q6 e-tron you find is an older model year or a 2027.
Waiting for the wider changes Brabec described is a weaker bet. He spoke for Audi of America and we found nothing from Audi Canada on any of this, so Canadian shoppers should check the wheel on the exact car in front of them.
Four checks on the test drive
- Change the volume and scroll the menus without looking down. That is the part Audi says changed.
- Count what is still touch-sensitive. Car and Driver says haptic buttons remain on the Q6 e-tron wheel next to the scroll wheels.
- Set the temperature, fan and vent direction, or have a passenger do it while you drive, and see how much needs the screen.
- Ask for the model year, because Audi ties the scroll wheel to specific model years.
If a used A5, Q5, Q6 e-tron or A6 e-tron with the old touch-sensitive wheel is on your list, our Audi PPI checklist gives the inspection shop the whole car to work through, not just the steering wheel.
Sources
- The Drive: Audi Fans Want RS Wagons, V8s, and Real Buttons. The Man Who Decides Isn’t Saying No (Drivecast transcript, Nov. 11, 2026)
- The Drive: news story on Brabec’s screens and controls remarks (Joel Feder, Nov. 11, 2026)
- Audi of America: 2026 A5 and Q5 updates release (Jan. 20, 2026)
- Audi of America: 2027 A6 Sportback e-tron and Q6 e-tron release (Feb. 5, 2026)
- Car and Driver: Audi steering-wheel and infotainment updates, hands-on (Joey Capparella, Nov. 7, 2026)
- Ars Technica: first look inside the Audi Q9 (May 11, 2026)
- The Drive: 2027 Audi Q9 first look (Joel Feder, May 11, 2026)
- Motor Trend: Audi CEO Gernot Döllner interview (Tim Stevens, March 17, 2026)
- Edmunds: 2027 Audi Q7 first drive (Tom Baker, June 29, 2026)