- Audi’s design boss criticizes oversized screens as empty tech excess.
- New concepts signal a shift toward tactility, restraint, and brand clarity.
- The move aligns Audi against industry trends chasing digital spectacle.
For years now, car makers have been in a silly race with each other to decide which one can slap the biggest screen with the least amount of physical buttons and knobs onto a dashboard.
Some have gone as far as to add widescreen TVs to the rear of cars, and Audi has been a willing participant in the fray, but that might be about to change.
More: Mercedes Says 2027 S-Class Isn’t A Facelift, It’s Practically Half A New Car
The German premium brand’s chief creative officer, Massimo Frascella, is openly questioning whether more screens really do provide a better user experience.
Are More Screens Really Better?
“Big screens are not the best experience,” Frascella admitted during a recent interview with Top Gear, calling them “technology for the sake of technology.” No doubt, he’s not the only one questioning screen usage in cars, but he’s one of the few in such a powerful position to make real change.
Read: Physical Controls Are Back Because Drivers Are Sick Of Endless Touchscreen Menus
Frascella joined Audi in 2024 after working on key Land Rover products like the Velar, Defender, and Range Rover. Take a glance at their interiors, and giant screens are one thing you won’t find.
That same design ethos seems clear to see in Audi’s new C Concept, which is headed for production in one form or another. Audi included several images of it without a central touchscreen infotainment system at all. In the versions with one, the Audi concept’s interior looks quite a bit like the ones you’ll find in a Land Rover or Range Rover right now.
More: Why Touchscreens Might Be The Most Dangerous Thing Inside Modern Cars
At the core of Frascella’s vision are four words: clear, technical, intelligent, and emotional. Crucially, “emotional” isn’t something Audi is trying to force anymore. Instead, Frascella argues it should emerge naturally from discipline, precision, and purpose.
Following Instinct Over Trend
“Audi has always been at its best when it has been confident. So you have to listen to what the customer needs, then find your own way to deliver that with your brand experience, not like everyone else,” he says.
Whether Audi can fully execute that vision across a production lineup remains to be seen. What’s clear is that it appears willing to go its own way in search of setting new trends rather than simply following what has already become a well-worn path.
