Audi cuts options because having 100 control wheels is exaggerated

One of the benefits of shopping for a luxury car is to choose from a wide range of options. Usually, the higher the starting price, the longer the list of extras. The Audi configurator is enormously complex, but that will probably change with future models. The Volkswagen Group brand wants to cut the number of courses that you can check on the option list. But it’s not just about reducing costs. There will also be benefits for the customer.

CEO Gernot Döllner told Car Express That by descending the depth of the adjustment, Audi can concentrate on less, nicer things. The Head Honcho from Ingolstadt raised steering wheels and said that a ridiculous number of versions is available in the wide portfolio of the company: “We believe, for example, that we only need three, maybe four different versions of a handlebar. At the moment we have more than 100!”

The intention is to make the interiors feel the logo of four rings worthy by raising the most important contact points, such as the steering wheel. Audi’s Chief Creative Officer, Massimo Frascella, feels the same, which suggests that part of the money saved will be put into more premium details: “We can build better quality elements because we have been reduced.”

It is essentially a “less is more” approach, which ideally benefits both parties. A step in the right direction is already an example of the concept C that revealed yesterday. It is a baby R8-like sports car with anodized aluminum for the physical controls, while the badge that adorns the steering wheel, made of real metal.

It is still to be seen whether the production version, in 2027, will retain high -quality elements, but we are optimistic. The ability of the concept C to hide the touchscreen, such as on some models from 2010, would be an absolute pleasure to have again. Audi also gave the Slinky sports car separate climate control, albeit touch sensitive, so nature is healing.

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Source: Audi

The rear -wheel drive, which acts as a roadster, is a window in the future of the company’s design, both inside and outside. For the cabin, Audi strives for a “reduction of the supplies – without superfluous lines or elements.” It is part of a newly announced banner “Strive for Clarity” that will be applied throughout the entire portfolio. The Road Going Concept C will be the first production model that takes the new direction when it will arrive in a few years.

Another way in which Audi polishes its luxury car maker -Imago is to get rid of its cheapest car. The A1 Supermini based on VW Polo will be stopped after the current generation has followed its course. Moreover, the Q2 sub -compact crossover is also on its way to the outside. Eliminating these two models makes the A3 the most affordable model of the brand. However, a new EV at entry level will be released in 2026.