There’s a worrying trend sweeping the auto industry: automakers keep adding technology simply because they can. In the race to look futuristic, even humble door handles have become rolling tech demos, trading simplicity for gimmicks that few buyers actually asked for.
Fortunately, Audi has decided this is one contest it doesn’t want to enter. Instead of chasing flashy winglet-style handles like those on the new 2027 BMW X5, Audi is sticking with a design that’s easier to use, proving not every innovation needs to reinvent the basics.
Keep It Simple, Stupid
2028 Audi Q9 interior preview.Audi
Speaking during a recent roundtable interview participated by CarBuzz, Audi CEO Gernot Döllner revealed that the new 2027 Audi Q9 full-size SUV was originally slated to adopt winglet-style door handles. The design has already been seen on vehicles like the BMW X5, the Volvo EX60, and the Ferrari Purosangue – the first production vehicle to feature the setup.
Typically finished in gloss black, the winglets sit along the beltline instead of protruding from the doors. The arrangement can improve aerodynamic efficiency while leaving the vehicle’s flanks visually cleaner. The touch-sensitive panels require only a swipe to unlatch the door, after which the door either fully opens or closes under electronic power, or soft-opens for manual operation, depending on the vehicle.
2028 Audi Q9 interior preview.Audi
Despite their futuristic appearance, winglet handles retain full mechanical backups that allow the doors to operate even if electrical power is lost, such as after a crash. That fallback may also help them comply withChina’s new vehicle design rulestaking effect next year, which prohibit fully hidden, electronic pop-out door handles. Similar legislation could be hitting soon in the US, so Audi’s decision might be a wise one.
Döllner said Audi’s decision to stick with conventional handles on the Q9 wasn’t driven by the upcoming Chinese regulations; rather, the two developments happened in parallel, with the decision having been made around 45 weeks ago.
Audi Q9 (And Q7) Were Designed For America
Gernot Döllner With The 2027 Audi Q7Audi
Döllner described the upcoming Q9 and the mechanically related 2027 Audi Q7 midsize SUV as especially meaningful projects because they were the first vehicles he could truly shape after taking over as CEO in September 2023. They also reflect a renewed focus on the US market. Both SUVs were developed with American buyers front of mind, and the Q9 underscores that commitment by launching in the US before expanding to China and Europe. Sales are expected to start here in the fourth quarter of the year and will mark the arrival of highly useful matrix LED headlight technology on these shores.
According to Döllner, Audi spent considerable time listening to American customers, and the feedback influenced everything from the cabin layout to the powertrain lineup. The Q9’s cupholders are sized to fit oversized bottles like the ubiquitous Stanley cups, and US buyers will be the only ones offered a V8 engine. The push for more physical controls also reinforced the decision to keep conventional door handles – a change Döllner admitted Audi was fortunate to make, noting that a revision of that scale would normally take about two years to implement.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters
Rather than chasing technology for technology’s sake, Audi appears determined, under Döllner, to ensure every feature serves a genuine purpose or improves the ownership experience. Conventional door handles may not turn heads like futuristic winglets, but they’re familiar, intuitive, and instantly recognizable. In an emergency, when every second counts, that kind of simplicity can matter far more than making a bold design statement.
That doesn’t mean winglet door handles are dead at Audi. Döllner said the design will debut on a future model in a segment with more limited usage than a family SUV.
