- 2026 A5 and Q5 get updated infotainment and better screen layout.
- Audi added new steering wheel with real scroll wheels for ease.
- S5 adds Dynamic Plus mode for controlled oversteer on track.
Audi is giving its popular A5 sedan and Q5 SUV models a round of updates for 2026. These changes apply across the range and include both functional additions and subtle revisions to features already in place. Among the most noticeable is the introduction of a new steering wheel with physical scroll wheels, the same type recently confirmed for European models.
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The most prominent updates begin with the Audi Digital Stage, the brand’s term for its three-display dashboard layout. While the familiar setup remains, featuring curved infotainment and digital gauge clusters, it now comes with a redesigned user interface.
Lists have been pared back, graphics are more prominent, and the overall layout is claimed to be easier to navigate while driving, reducing distractions without compromising capability.
Along with the new layout, the virtual cockpit now offers multiple display views. The smartphone interface has also been improved and can now be mirrored directly onto the virtual cockpit, streamlining access to frequently used apps.
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On the passenger side, there are updates to the secondary display and a new option to connect a Bluetooth headset, allowing for personalized audio or video playback.
Tactile Controls Make a Partial Comeback
Audi has also introduced a redesigned four-spoke steering wheel for both models. While it continues to use the same widely criticized haptic-style buttons found in other recent Audis, it now adds two physical scroll wheels, which should make it slightly less infuriating to use.
Elsewhere, the 2026 Audi A5 is available with S Sport suspension and Bang & Olufsen speakers in the headrests. It can also be configured with an S line black package, which includes unique 19-inch wheels and black exterior trimmings. Similarly, the 2026 Q5 is available with the same S line package, but it adds 20-inch wheels, alongside other black trimmings.
New Tech
Among the more genuinely useful updates is the inclusion of a factory dashcam. Discreetly mounted at the base of the rear-view mirror, it can be operated directly through the infotainment system. Footage is saved to an SD card, making it easy to retrieve or review when needed.
Audi has also updated the park assist pro function, meaning the car can steer itself for up to 150 feet (50 meters) when backing towards a spot. It can also save five different parking maneuvers, each up to 600 feet (200 meters) long, and perform them autonomously on private property, a similar function to what several new BMWs have.
2026 Audi A5
Keen drivers will also be pleased to hear that the 2026 Audi S5 includes a new Dynamic Plus drive mode, allowing for controlled oversteer thanks to tweaks to the brake torque vectoring, quattro sport differential, and optimizations of the ESC.
Audi says the 2026 A5 and Q5 will go on sale later this quarter. Pricing starts at $50,200 for the A5, a $500 increase over the 2025 model year, while the Q5 will carry a base price of $52,800, up $600 from last year.
2026 Audi Q5
