When the midsize SUV Audi Q5 arrives in the U.S. in March, it will have the third generation of Audi's MMI cockpit controller, this time with joystick functionality. While BMW was first with iDrive, Audi's MMI has generally been considered to be the best and most useful of the cockpit controllers or multimedia controllers until last fall. Audi is releasing details slowly on both the Q5 and MMI, but what they've disclosed makes MMI sound like another big step forward.
The basic layout of MMI (multi-media interface) continues with a knurled control wheel on the center console just behind the gearshift lever.
In the navigation screen, you can tilt the wheel eight ways to move around the map and then, if you want to go somewhere, click on the controller to set that as your destination. It also works while navigating through the DVD playback menu (DVD video is accessible only when you're moving).
Four function-dependent buttons surround the controller (as before) and eight fixed-function buttons for navigation, phone, audio, etcetera, are in two columns to the left and right of the MMI controller. BMW in the 2009 3 Series, 7 Series, and 2010 Z4 borrowed and improved on Audi's use of fixed-function buttons. Just ahead of the iDrive controller, BMW put the four most important function buttons, for navigation, CD/iPod, radio, and phone (plus menu), each with a distinct locaton and shape. With BMW, you just slide your fingers forward; with MMI, you have to take your hand off the controller and possibly, depending on your dexterity or lack, take you eyes off the road for a minute to guide your fingers toward the right button.
The "large TFT display" measures 7 inches diagonal, has a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, uses LED backlighting, and it's mounted high on the console. No offense, Audi, but calling 7 inches "large" is a bit of a reach. Just down the road from Ingolstadt, your colleagues in Munich at BMW define large as 10.2 inches and 1280 x 480 pixels for its premium display. Backlit LED lighting is good. BMW's transflective display, which uses sunlight (in the daytime) for illumination is probably the best solution.
 Audi employs an nVidia graphics processor to drive a 3D map display, provide smooth animation, and cross-fade among apps.
Audi uses two processors, an 800-MHz CPU and a 500-MHz DSP, to allow all apps - navigation, voice input, telephone and audio functions - to operate simultaneously. Audi wasn't crystal-clear on what this means, but we hope it means you can call any function anytime. For instance, if you're using the Bluetooth phone in your Microsoft-Ford Sync system, you can't give the command, "Play Artist Taylor Swift" without switching over to the music player mode, which takes longer to say than it does to press the button on your radio.
MMI links to a music interface, which is good, but it's an extra-cost option, which is kind of silly given how many Audi buyers have iPods and other music players. When you make it optional, the end-user cost skyrockets.
The optional Sirius satellite radio module, also controlled by MMI, now lets you keep playing one station while previewing the artist-and-track information on other channels.
About the Q5
The Q5 is Audi's entry into the premium entry (or compact) sport utility vehicle market already heavily populated: BMW X3, Infiniti EX35, Acura RDX, Mercedes-Benz GLK, and the market leader Lexus RX 350. There's also the Land Rover LR2, Volvo XC60, and, in case you feared American automakers forgot about this market, the Cadillac SRX. This is chick car territory, sort of. Compared to the bigger siblings such as the BMW X5, Infiniti FX35, Acura MDX, and Mercedes-Benz ML and GL, a greater proportion of buyers are women, along with city dwellers who want something a foot shorter and easier to park. So there's a premium on comfort, safety, cockpit appointments, and marketing that trumpets those features without turning off guys. (Ever see a guy in a Rabbit convertible, especially with white upholstery? He knows you're snickering at him.)
The Q5 gets a 232-hp V6 engine, all-wheel-drive, and a six-speed automatic transmission. Audi isn't talking about fuel economy yet, or price, except to say it's competitive. So expect a city/highway combined 20 mpg and a price somewhere between $32,000 (EX35 or RDX) and $40,000 (X3). Since it's an Audi, you can also expect a tastefully luxurious cockpit and an excellent steering with smart touches such as roller wheels instead of buttons for some key functions.
What it means: BMW's latest iDrive trumped Audi's long-running champion MMI. Now Audi strikes back in a vehicle that's also an important first step into the brand, along with the A3 and A4.
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