We haven’t actually seen the car, but Audi is giving us a good look at the interior of the upcoming Audi TT Coupe at CES in Las Vegas, Nevada this week.
The new layout comes with Audi’s standard focus on design, but also with a focus on technology that is wholly new for the brand. They’re calling it a virtual cockpit and it brings all the vehicle’s information to a single 12.3″ LCD screen directly in front of the driver.
That’s right, there’s no longer the usual Multi-Media Interface (MMI) screen in the center stack making for a much cleaner, more streamlined dashboard than in Audis past. Although, it might leave passengers feeling a little left out of things.
The display offers two different modes in either Classic or Infotainment so drivers can customize their experience. If you want the speedometer and tachometer you’d traditionally find in this spot to be the focus, then you’ll want to select Classic mode. Switching to Infotainment mode gives you the setup you’d usually find on that center stack with options like navigation on display.
Removing that screen from the center stack has given Audi the opportunity to rework the dash and give it a more appealing aesthetic that flows out from their virtual cockpit like the wing of a plane. There are even HVAC vents that look like little turbines with built-in controls.
Passengers aren’t left completely out of the mix thanks to touchpad controls located in the center tunnel. These duplicate controls for the driver that are positioned on the flat-bottomed steering wheel.
Controlling all the infotainment options has also been simplified with menus and a design that mimics smartphones. There’s even a touchpad with scrolling and zooming just like you’d find on a tablet. Audi says it’s all part of their design focus on the driver.
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole also writes for NerdApproved and GeekMom.
