Almost ten years ago, Audi presented the Virtual Cockpit at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. Since then, water has flowed under the bridge – the Geneva Motor Show has moved to Qatar – but the brand with the rings has never pushed the integration of digital technology into its cars further. By turning to electric, its cabin then entered the restricted family of manufacturers who resist by the force of physical buttons and traditional on-board fittings.
But soon celebrating a first decade, Audi risked the backlash with this sluggishness. From a conventional cabin, to customers who do not want a flying saucer-style cabin, the manufacturer was in danger of falling behind. And make old. So he looked at his calendar, and chose the future Q6 e-tron to unveil this new interior. Proof of this is the importance: the very design of the body of the new SUV has not yet been unveiled.
Unlike other previous electric models at Audi, the Q6 e-tron is developed on a platform dedicated to electric models, the new PPE 2 platform (Premium Platform Electric 2). Hence the interest of choosing this model to completely review the interior.
Near Munich in Germany, for a few hours, we were able to tour the owner of this new decoration. A new interior which, in the face of the competition, will be less minimalist than BMW, will not take the same turn as Mercedes and its screens embedded in the dashboard, or even that Tesla with its third screen for rear passengers presented on the new Model 3 .
New screens
Rather than talking about the dashboard, there is now at Audi a “digital floor”. And that’s the biggest change. Now at Audi, we no longer think in terms of the central console but of the dashboard, and of this digital floor comprising a large slab. To the great benefit of safety and driving comfort, the screens are raised compared to the date of the Q4 e-tron and Q8 e-tron integrated lower. Now everything is positioned so that the vision is as little offset as possible.
From the screen behind the steering wheel to the central console, the brand’s new standard interior carries one and the same horizontal and slightly curved piece, facing the driver. It actually incorporates two screens that it conceals under a 62 cm black casing to give the impression that it is a single screen. The slab behind the steering wheel goes from 12.3 to 11.9 inches, and the central screen from 10.1 to 14.5 inches, compared to what is found on a Q8 e-tron. Obviously, only the central screen is touch-sensitive.
On some models, such as the Q4 e-tron and Q8 e-tron, Audi offered a lower third screen, at the junction between the center console and the central dashboard screen. It then made it possible to deport certain controls and shortcuts, and made the transition between a conventional cabin and a 100% digital cabin. Audi decided to remove it, to add another screen on the passenger side. A third screen reminiscent of what Porsche offers on the Taycan.
With a diagonal of 10.9 inches, it allows the passenger to control controls without disturbing the driver (navigation, music, air conditioning), or to entertain themselves independently, without disturbing or sharing their content with the driver. It is slightly oriented towards the window, but this is not disturbing when one is seated in the passenger seat.
New software and new voice assistant
Until then, Audi offered efficient software, for a rather fluid digital experience, but its screens never made it possible to enjoy content for entertainment. With the delay of more than two years of the model, the Q6 e-tron will be entitled to a redesigned interface and more comprehensive software, dubbed E3. It was developed by Cariad, the software publisher of the Volkswagen group, with Android Automotive for the application part.
We weren’t able to try it strictly speaking, because Audi only offered a demo version on the prototype that we approached. We can still appreciate the arrival of a new provision in the form of vertical tileswhich are reminiscent of the smartphone experience and allow applications to be integrated without having to review everything in a horizontal format.
This layout is also well thought out so that you can see several programs at a glance at the same time, without having to intervene on the screen to change programs or menus.
Audi says it worked with Android Automotive to develop the new platform, with the aim of being able to offer apps. Not all of them are available, however. The person in charge of developing the interior of this new Q6 e-tron explained to us that Audi retains control over what could or could not be installed on board. Especially on the gaming side, for security reasons, but also most certainly for still limited graphic resources.
Audi therefore seems to want to continue to maintain control over the interface and the system used on its screens, at a time when other manufacturers prefer to trust specialized companies such as Google and Apple. The manufacturer explained to us in particular that he wanted to keep control of navigation in particular, and to prevent external programs like Waze from being preferred.
This control is also visible on the side of voice assistance or Audi is flip-flopping on Amazon, which it was working with to integrate Alexa. Now, under the new software version E3, a brand new program supposedly boosted with artificial intelligence can answer questions from passengers or the driver. This is how he could also perform quick actions or even offer command options before he has finished stating a request.
Harmony or ergonomics?
Overall, this new interior comes fix the fault of the screens located too low on the Audi dashboard, and rearrange the space to turn it more into the digital age, while trying to offer more storage space. We like the use of new recycled materials, or even the wooden plank and the new Volkswagen-style light signature located below the windscreen.
On the other hand, you will have to like the enveloping interiors and the very vertical screens, both the atmosphere is no longer so airy than before. A bias for enhanced ergonomics. An inspiration that can be compared to Asian brands, such as Toyota, with its screens and controls oriented towards the driver without the need to turn his head or stretch his arm.
The hierarchy of elements is rather well thought out, but it is certain that this new interior still bears witness to a confrontation of two generations, and that privileging ergonomics rarely rhymes with a harmonious whole. In our opinion, where Audi could have made ample efforts is on the side of the break between the center console and the dashboard. The storage space is beneficial, but the break is not very aesthetic and could at least have been camouflaged by a closure.
Not everyone will like the screen slab either, which is not directly in the dashboard as is the case for Mercedes. We also regret the absence of a screen for the rear seats, as is now the case with Tesla on the range of the restyled Model 3. On the other hand, Tesla still does not offer a head-up display and for its part Audi offers a new, even improved version that we will be looking forward to trying. Same thing for the screen behind the steering wheel, unavailable including on the Model Y at Tesla.
The PPE2 platform, dedicated to the new Q6 e-tron and other future electric models from Audi and Porsche, also has its advantages on board. Without it, Audi could not have completely remodeled its interior. At the rear, for example, it is thanks to this new platform that the central tunnel has been able to disappear, to leave a flat surface for the passengers, in particular for the third place (which remains a narrow place, that said). The storage space is also changing in the trunk, which gains a few litres, and which offers a 64 liter frunk under the front hood.
Released in February 2024 with the electric Porsche Macan
We should know the prices of this new Q6 e-tron with this new interior by the end of the year. Then the appointment is set for February 2024 with its marketing. In six months, the car will be officially launched, and it will be launched at the same time as Porsche’s new electric Macan. He also uses the PPE2 platform.
The software in its new version with the new interface will only be available for new models. It will not be possible for owners of Q4 e-tron or Q8 e-tron to perform an update so that their screen offers the new version. An exclusivity which will still allow Audi to push its customers towards electric models, while the brand no longer wants to market a 100% thermal model from 2026.