Automakers constantly strive to connect cars with drivers in the most intuitive and engaging ways. Audi’s virtual cockpit is a prime example of this effort.
This high-resolution digital gauge cluster puts all relevant vehicle information and content front and center for the driver. The state-of-the-art display shows everything from miles per hour to maps to music while helping you keep your eyes on the road.
Fully configurable and customizable, the Audi virtual cockpit is a TFT (thin film transistor) screen that resides within the driver's binnacle, positioned behind the steering wheel and in the driver's sightline. It is essentially a modern interpretation of the dialed gauge cluster.
The idea is to personalize the driving experience through digital capabilities, replacing the analog interface of yesteryear. Rooted in practicality and convenience, the Audi virtual cockpit allows the driver full real-time access to almost every tech-based bell and whistle the vehicle offers.
The Audi virtual cockpit pairs seamlessly with the Multi-media Interface (MMI), the brand's long-standing and enhanced infotainment system across the Audi model line (more on that below).
Visually stunning, the Audi virtual cockpit has a crisp 12.3-inch screen brightly presented in HD resolution (1920 x 720 pixels). A choice of design views—Normal, Sport, and Dynamic—gives the instrument cluster a unique aesthetic based on the driver's preferences and personality.
Perhaps more important than the skins are the two primary layout modes of the Audi virtual cockpit: Classic and Infotainment. Both are customizable, and the driver can choose the one they want with a steering wheel toggle and easily switch between them.
In Classic mode, the gauge cluster takes on a more traditional look, with the speedometer and tachometer as the main focal points. Other vehicle information in Classic view includes an odometer, fuel gauge, gear display, turn signal indicators, hazard lights, and active system lights, which inform the driver of things such as open doors or trunk/tailgate.
With Infotainment mode, the priorities shift regarding what information the driver sees in the digital cluster. The speedometer and tachometer are still visible, but content, media, and communication details now move to the foreground. This layout also allows you to display a sprawling navigation map with integrated route planning that takes up most of the interface.
Through a series of well-organized menus, the Audi virtual cockpit gives you a vast array of choices and information encompassing vehicle statistics, phone and message notifications, maps and navigation, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) alerts, and audio and content selections, among other choices. However, it is not a touchscreen. Rather, it is an interface you control with either steering wheel buttons or voice activation. Here are the Audi virtual cockpit's primary functions:
The Audi virtual cockpit works alongside the brand’s enhanced MMI system. Now 8.8 inches, the new MMI touch display controls the primary media and infotainment functions. This data informs the virtual cockpit while providing unique content, mapping, and communications services on the dashboard's central screen.
The Audi virtual cockpit is an example of innovation that is working to elevate the in-vehicle experience. With its customizable display, voice commands, and infotainment integration, this digital interface is much more than a gauge cluster. It's an extension of the driver.
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Jessica Shea Choksey is an experienced writer in the automotive field. In addition to JDPower.com, she was a correspondent for PBS's MotorWeek, and her work has appeared on AutoTrader.
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