Audi’s New Interior Feature Sparks Debate But Some Think It’s Brilliant

The 2026 Audi Q3 is finally here, and as expected, it brings a slew of updates. But if you’ve been paying attention, you might have already heard about the change that’s generating the most buzz, literally behind the steering wheel.

Audi’s stalk design has been reworked, and the right stalk now handles gear changes, flipping between park, drive, reverse, and neutral. This, of course, makes the left stalk even more complicated, as it now controls everything from the lights and turn signals to wipers and beyond.

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It’s easy to see why some believe this over-engineered solution might turn into a headache. The last thing anyone wants is to accidentally switch off their headlights when they meant to signal a turn, and that could easily turn into a safety issue. Sure, Audi might have intended this to simplify things, but sometimes more features just means more chances to screw up.

It’s also bound to create frustration until you get used to it. Just ask all the Model, 3 Highlander drivers when Tesla swapped out stalks for steering wheel buttons and screen options.

Audi’s approach may be different, but it’s not exactly setting the stage for stress-free driving. Try activating the wipers when you only wanted to flick on the fog lights, and you’ll see exactly what we mean. That might sound a bit silly, but take a deeper look at the design itself.

A confusing stalk? Maybe not.

The stalk has a little nub on the end with five different functions on its own. It supports the turn signals (up/down), the high beams (forward/back), and the single-swipe wiper, along with the windshield washer fluid. Beyond that nub is a wheel that controls wiper speed. Beneath it is yet one more button for the rear wiper and wiper spray nozzle. To say there’s a lot going on there is quite an understatement.

Should we start bashing Audi’s interior designers over that single stalk, though? Maybe not, as there’s a lot of precedence for exactly this type of design change. For example, cross-town rival Mercedes has used almost this exact scheme for some time.

In fact, several automakers all over the world use, or at least have at one time utilized, the same general idea. That includes American brands like General Motors and Ford.

A design that divides, but is it really that bad?

Oddly enough, Audi’s stalk redesign seems to have won over some people on the internet. In a Reddit thread specifically about the new design, most commenters didn’t find it confusing at all. “It’s actually a good design,” said one person.

“This is better than the latest VW design,” said another. That’s poignant, too, because this new design incorporates a VW feature. In fact, the entire switcharoo is due to Audi moving the shifter from the center console to the right stalk, which is where VW has been putting it for years.

The latter had to deal with its own set of problems regarding steering wheel switchgear, as the haptic controls it implemented were so badly received it was eventually forced to ditch them. Its more premium sibling in the VW empire is off to a better start, but we won’t know for sure how buyers will respond when they get the car into their hands.