When we drove the 2026 Audi SQ5 earlier this month, we praised its high-tech interior—but that impression changes if you don’t get one key option. Like other new Audis, it’s a screen-heavy environment, with two ahead of the driver and an optional third screen for the front passenger. It’s this third screen that’s a point of contention. While our Q5/SQ5 test cars have so far been fitted with the optional screen, what’s left behind if you don’t specify this extra is a bit of an eyesore, and not up to Audi’s usual interior standards for quality and attention to detail. In fact, this may be the single biggest gripe with Audi’s current generation of interior design—and it doesn’t only affect the SQ5.
A Design Disappointment
Without the passenger-side screen, the SQ5 is left with a jarring slab of plastic on the dashboard. No attempt has been made to redesign this half of the dash without the third screen, so this piece of shiny plastic does little more than attract dust and fingerprints. Audi could have made some attempt to redesign this area, or at least add a more attractive trim insert, but it has simply removed the screen.
Audi
This inharmonious piece of design was pointed out by productreviewcars on Instagram in a right-hand-drive model. However, U.S.-spec Audis have exactly the same setup. On the SQ5 Sportback, you’ll need to spend at least $70,700 on the Premium Plus trim to get the passenger-side display. All derivatives below this don’t have the display. Even the new Audi A6 doesn’t get the third screen as standard—just the same blank panel reminding you of the option you didn’t specify.
Audi Interiors Were Once Unbeatable
Audi
Audi
Audi
Go back one or two generations, and Audi consistently produced some of the best car interiors around, from the compact A4 right up to the deluxe A8. The quality was second to none, the layout was logical, and the smallest details received the kind of attention and polish lacking in even some BMWs and Mercs.
The new generation of Audis are still solid luxury cars, but they lack the small refinements one enjoyed in previous Audis. Take the brand’s new steering wheels, for instance; the chrome Audi rings have now been reduced to what appears to be a flat decal. It’s a cost-cutting measure that’s visible each time you get into your car. These details may not matter inside a budget sedan, but they do in a vehicle costing upwards of $60,000. The current Q7 and A8, two of the brand’s older models, have the previous-gen interior design, which still looks and feels special.
Audi
Audi
With Audi sales declining in the U.S., one has to question whether some of the company’s design decisions are to blame. Fortunately, there’s hope on the horizon. The bold Audi Concept C revealed last year marks a return to interiors focused on quality and tactility—not only tech. If the design themes of this concept filter down to other Audis, the brand can reclaim one of its long-standing attributes in the luxury segment.
About the author
Karl Furlong
Senior Editor, Autoblog