Audi Acknowledges That New Vehicles’ Interiors Are Of Lower Quality

Since the mid-1990s, Audi has been known for exceptional craftsmanship and materials, helping it compete with Mercedes and BMW. However, this trend has recently begun to decline.

Recent management turmoil affected development as leaders rushed to avoid delays. Fortunately, Audi resolved these issues and launched six new models last year: the A6 e-tron, Q6 e-tron, A5 sedan, A5 Avant, Q5 SUV, and Q5 Sportback.

In terms of the model portfolio, Audi has certainly filled the gaps, but a closer look at the new vehicles immediately reveals the following problem. The quality of the materials used in the interiors of the A6 e-tron, Q5 and some others is partly disappointing and will probably be misunderstood by most regular Audi customers, writes.

It’s not so much about the things you see or touch at first glance, because they’re still perfect. But underneath that, there’s something that wasn’t there a few years ago. Cars have quite a bit of hard plastic on the lower door panels and the glove compartment, among other things.

Audi has acknowledged the issue. At the Q5 driver presentation, Oscar da Silva Martins, head of product and technology communications, stated, “We previously upheld a higher quality standard, and we will achieve that again,” noting that customer expectations may have been underestimated. He added, “Savings may have been made in the wrong areas.”

These are words you don’t usually hear from high-ranking people in the industry, and they certainly deserve respect.

In addition, other Audi representatives have also pointed to the possibility of improvements in this area shortly. With the renovation of the latest models, inferior materials should become a thing of the past.

Audi has faced competition from Stuttgart, which isn’t much better. Mercedes has seen a decline in material quality recently and isn’t promising improvements. In contrast, BMW has been improving since hitting rock bottom in the early 2010s.

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