Audi is about to give five of its core models a major technology refresh while quietly reversing one of the most controversial design trends of the past decade. The brand is rolling out upgraded digital systems and driver aids, but at the same time it is restoring physical buttons and switches where owners say they matter most. In an era when many rivals are doubling down on touch-only dashboards, Audi is betting that a smarter mix of screens and hardware will win back drivers who never stopped missing real controls.
Why Audi is pivoting back to physical controls
Audi is not bringing back buttons out of nostalgia, it is doing it because customers have been persistently asking for them. The company has acknowledged that drivers repeatedly complained about touch-sensitive sliders and capacitive pads that were too easy to brush accidentally and too hard to use without looking away from the road. In response, Audi has confirmed that five models will be updated with a more traditional layout that restores the familiar design of physical controls, a shift that reflects how strongly owners have pushed for change according to Nov Audi.
That pressure has not only come through official feedback channels, it has been visible in public forums where loyal buyers have vented about the previous strategy. On enthusiast boards, one recurring criticism is that the earlier move to touch-only surfaces felt like a cost-cutting exercise that stripped out hardware to save money rather than to improve usability. One widely shared comment framed the old approach as Cutting features to boost margins, arguing that Enough owners hated the change that They were ready to score new cars down over it. Audi’s decision to reverse course shows that this kind of sentiment has filtered back to Ingolstadt and is now shaping product planning.
Five key models get a tech and control overhaul
The most visible part of Audi’s strategy is a coordinated update for five major nameplates that sit at the heart of its global lineup. For the 2026 Model Year, the company is preparing a broad refresh for the A5, Q5, A6, A6 e-Tron, and Q6 e-Tron, combining new software and hardware with a rethink of how drivers interact with the cabin. Audi has confirmed that it will Update the A5, Q5, A6, A6 e-Tron, and Q6 e-Tron for the 2026 Model Year, positioning these cars and SUVs as the first wave of a more balanced digital and analog interior philosophy that also keeps the Tron and Tron for the electric side of the range front and center.
These are not fringe products, they are the core of Audi’s volume and its transition to electrification, which makes the decision to reintroduce physical controls on them especially significant. The A6 and A6 e-Tron in particular sit at the intersection of executive luxury and cutting-edge tech, so any change in their control layout signals how Audi sees the future of premium cabins. By tying the return of buttons to a wider package of infotainment, connectivity, and driver-assistance upgrades on these five models, Audi is making clear that it does not see tactile controls as a step backward, but as part of a more sophisticated user experience.
Inside the steering wheel rethink
Nowhere is Audi’s change of heart more obvious than on the steering wheel, where the brand is abandoning touch-only pads in favor of proper buttons. The company has said it is removing the touch sliders mounted on the steering wheels of five cars and replacing them with physical switches that give clear feedback under the driver’s fingers. Executives have linked this move directly to feedback from customers who found the old setup too easy to trigger by mistake, describing the change as a response to feedback from customers and a step in the right direction for everyday usability.
Independent reporting on the hardware confirms that Audi is preparing a series of updates for the 2026 models that will put real, raised buttons back on the steering wheel where drivers can find them by feel. The company has acknowledged that many owners struggled when using the touch buttons, particularly in bumpy conditions or while making quick maneuvers, and that the new design is meant to restore confidence and precision. As part of that shift, Physical buttons will be back on the steering wheel of new Audi models, with Audi explicitly linking the change to safety and ease of use when using the touch buttons had previously been a source of frustration.
Balancing big tech with tactile usability
Crucially, Audi is not dialing down its technology ambitions as it restores physical controls, it is trying to make that tech more approachable. The company has said that alongside the reintroduction of buttons it is focusing on improving overall interior quality, comfort, convenience, and technological integration, so the cabin feels both more premium and more intuitive. In practice, that means pairing high-resolution displays and advanced software with knobs, switches, and keys that let drivers adjust core functions without diving into menus, a combination that Alongside the digital upgrades Audi is pitching as a better balance of comfort, convenience, and technological integration.
This approach fits neatly with Audi’s broader reputation for blending innovation with everyday usability. The brand has long used advanced driver assistance systems, cutting-edge infotainment features, and adaptive suspension to differentiate its cars, and it is now folding those capabilities into a control scheme that respects how people actually drive. From lane-keeping aids to configurable digital cockpits, Audi integrates the latest technologies in ways that are meant to feel natural rather than overwhelming, and the renewed emphasis on buttons and switches is being presented as part of that same commitment to technological excellence, as reflected in its wider portfolio of Audi dynamic cars.
How the e-Tron family showcases the new philosophy
The shift back to buttons is especially visible in Audi’s electric lineup, where the company has been experimenting most aggressively with new interfaces. The e-tron family has already seen steering wheel touchscreens and unusual control layouts that were meant to reinvent the driving environment, but which some owners found too radical. Reports on the latest changes note that Audi introduced the steering wheel touchscreen to multiple models and that the e-tron is one of the cars affected by the decision to bring back more conventional controls, with Thank you being the reaction from drivers who felt Audi had gone too far in trying to reinvent the steering wheel.
By applying its new interior strategy to the A6 e-Tron and Q6 e-Tron as part of the 2026 Model Year updates, Audi is signaling that even its most advanced EVs will not sacrifice tactile clarity in the name of futurism. These models are expected to carry the latest software platforms and battery technology while also benefiting from the same return to physical keys and buttons that their combustion siblings receive. In that sense, the Tron badge is becoming a showcase for how Audi wants its electric cars to feel: high tech in their powertrains and connectivity, but grounded in a control layout that lets drivers operate climate, audio, and key driving functions by touch rather than by trial and error on a glass panel.
Customer feedback as a design driver
What stands out in Audi’s messaging is how openly it credits owners for pushing the company to rethink its interiors. Executives have said that the decision to restore physical controls is rooted in direct feedback from customers who found the previous touch-sensitive interfaces distracting and unintuitive. That aligns with broader reporting that Audi is bringing back some of its physical controls and has explained that the change is being made because drivers asked for it, with the company framing the move as a response to how people actually use their cars rather than to abstract design trends, a point underscored when Audi is bringing back some of its physical controls and explicitly linking that to how the car industry is going.
The latest A6 illustrates how quickly Audi is willing to adjust when the market pushes back. The current generation of that car launched only a few months ago, yet Audi has already admitted that changes to its control layout were made purely based on customer feedback. In internal discussions, the company has described this as a way to put driver comfort and usability back in focus, a telling phrase for a brand that has sometimes been accused of prioritizing design minimalism over ergonomics. The fact that Audi Concept C commentary highlights that the latest A6, in fact, launched just a few months ago and that Audi admitted the change was made purely based on customer feedback, shows how central this theme has become to the company’s narrative about its interiors.
What this means for Audi’s performance and S models
The return of buttons is not limited to mainstream sedans and SUVs, it is also influencing how Audi configures its performance-oriented S models. These cars have always tried to combine high output with everyday comfort, and the latest updates emphasize that balance by pairing stronger engines and chassis tuning with more intuitive cabins. Audi describes its S range as an irresistible combination of performance and luxury, and it is now backing that up with a raft of new equipment and significant upgrades that extend beyond powertrains into the way drivers interact with the car, as highlighted in its own Audi magazine coverage of the S models.
For buyers of these performance variants, the appeal of physical controls is especially strong because they often drive more quickly and more dynamically, when the ability to adjust settings by feel is critical. A driver hustling an S4 or SQ5 along a back road does not want to hunt through touch menus to change the drive mode or tweak the suspension, and Audi’s renewed emphasis on tactile switches acknowledges that reality. By aligning the control philosophy of its S models with the broader shift across the A5, Q5, and A6 families, Audi is reinforcing the idea that performance and usability should rise together rather than compete for attention inside the cabin.
The broader industry signal Audi is sending
Audi’s move lands at a moment when the wider car industry is wrestling with how far to push touchscreens and software-driven interfaces. Some brands have doubled down on minimalist dashboards with almost no physical keys, while others are quietly reintroducing knobs and buttons after waves of owner complaints. By publicly tying its own reversal to customer feedback and rolling it out across five high-profile models, Audi is sending a signal that the era of touch-everything may be peaking, at least in the premium segment where buyers expect both innovation and refinement.
At the same time, the company is careful to frame this as evolution rather than retreat. Audi continues to invest heavily in digital cockpits, driver assistance, and connected services, and it is using the 2026 Model Year updates to showcase those capabilities in the A5, Q5, A6, A6 e-Tron, and Q6 e-Tron. The key difference is that those systems will now be wrapped in cabins that respect the value of muscle memory and tactile feedback, from the steering wheel to the center console. For a brand that built its reputation on understated, driver-focused interiors, the decision to bring back buttons while rolling out big tech looks less like a U-turn and more like a return to form, one that many of its customers have been waiting for.
More from MorningOverview