As a long-time admirer of Audi, I deeply respect the company’s innovation and commitment to excellence. However, after testing the new Audi Q6 on 30 November 2024 in Germany, I encountered a feature that warrants serious reconsideration: the passenger display. To be candid, this is the most distracting feature I have ever experienced in any of the cars I have tested.
While the concept of a passenger display is intriguing, its execution in the Q6 presents significant challenges. The display’s large reflective surface is highly distracting for the driver, reflecting the surroundings and constantly catching attention. The human visual system, evolutionarily attuned to detect brightness changes in the periphery, is particularly sensitive to this effect. In practice, this means the display frequently diverts the driver’s eyes away from the road—posing a serious safety concern.
It’s surprising that this feature passed Audi’s internal safety evaluations and made it to production. Given its potential implications for driver safety, I wonder how regulatory bodies like NHTSA might assess it. This feature could potentially lead to a recall.
Interestingly, when I am critical of design decisions, people often suggest it’s due to cost-cutting. But in this case, Audi has clearly invested considerable resources to add something that negatively impacts both UX and safety.
With the best intentions, I propose the following suggestions to Audi:
-If the passenger display is an optional extra, consider immediately halting its availability until the issue is resolved.
-Explore the development of a hardware trim cover or other solutions to mitigate the reflection issue.
I want to emphasise that there are some truly innovative HMI features in the Q6, and the team has clearly worked hard to create a modern, cutting-edge system. However, for me, the passenger display issue overshadows everything else.
Audi has a well-earned reputation for safety and innovation, and I am confident they will address this issue thoughtfully. My hope is that this feedback can help ensure the Q6 meets the high standards that Audi drivers and enthusiasts expect.