Checking the MMI Touch Response Tech in the 2019 Audi A8

[MUSIC] Today we're taking a look at all of the technology inside the new 2019 Audi A8L. And there's a lot to talk about, so let's dig right into it. Now, if you're a long-term Audi-phile, or at least someone who's been paying attention to their cars for a while, you'll notice that one of the big things missing from the console here Is Audi's MMI controller. That's because we've moved to a two-screen, touchscreen interface for the 2019 model year. So the top screen is the main event. It's where most of your infotainment stuff happens. And you'll notice that the home screen is a little bit different from the sort of circle of icons that we controlled with a knob. Now we've got this grid of icons that's very smartphone-like that puts all of the functions right here at your fingertips. And it's also very customizable. So you can tap and hold any icon much like you can on a smart phone and move it in the order that you like. Now we've got this short cut bar that's closest to the driver, that's always visible. And that's where you can put the five or so icons that you most commonly access. So if, for example, like me, you really use Android Auto a lot, you can grab that icon and put it down at the bottom. Maybe you use Phone Calls, or maybe you don't use the phone and you prefer vehicle settings, you can put all of that right there. And it'll always be available no matter where in the interface you are. Now along the top of the screen, there is a status bar that is very smartphone-like. It's got things like the time, your smartphone signal strength and the signal strength of the built-in 4G LTE connection. But if you tap that, it slides down, again like a smartphone or tablet, and gives you quick access to things like driver profiles, connectivity for things like WiFi or Bluetooth management, as well as a shortcut to the settings. So you'll notice that, if I put my hand on the radio icon or the phone icon, It will sort of select those things but it won't take me on to that screen and that's because I have to deliberately push the screen in a little bit like a button and I get a little bit of a haptic click. That means that while I'm driving around, if I just sort of reach for the screen and I accidentally touch something, I don't end up in a menu I didn't expect to And it also means I get a nice tap talk click and a vibration under my finger when I press the button that you can kind of hear if you listen. It's nice. But what about this lower screen? The lower screen is primarily where you interact with your climate controls and seat controls so if you tap the seat icon it will bring up controls for things like the massage settings, really granular seat positioning settings as well as the ability to adjust the temperature of your seat. The lower screen is also where you'll input things for searching for destinations. So you go into the search screen and it turns into this. And you just type it out with your fingers. [BLANK_AUDIO] T-A-C-O-S It's very good at recognizing how you write letters. You don't have to write them in any particular way, or you can write them one letter at a time. You can write the whole word, or you can just write them on top of each other like this. [BLANK_AUDIO] B E L L. Now you probably couldn't have read that at the end of it but the computer figured it out. It's really cool. The bottom screen is also home to some shortcuts for things like some driver aid systems, some of the window controls, as well shortcuts to [INAUDIBLE] Which you can customize for contacts and destinations that you access frequently. Now, in front of me, we have the newest generation of the Audi virtual cockpit. It's the system that we've seen on plenty of Audi vehicles at this time that allow us to do all sorts of things, like viewing maps, contacts, audio sources, vehicle information. You can also customize it to do a full-screen map or show these large gauges, if you like. It's basically the same system that we've loved made better, because the screen resolution is a little bit higher, and the responsiveness is a little bit snappier. So it should feel more like physical gauges as you drive around. However, some of the coolest features in this 2019 Audi A8L are in the backseat. So, if you'll join me back there, let's get a little more comfortable and I'll explain. Now every AA that we get in the state is gonna be L a long wheel which mean they're plenty of leg room on the second road but we have the executive package which means that in addition to this large center console arm rest in the back, we also have the ability to recline both of these back seats with massage function. Heck, I can even push the front seat forward, drop down an ottoman, and enjoy a foot massage from massagers that are built into the back of the front passenger seat. That's really nice. Now, you control all of this with a tablet that pops out of the center console. It's wireless, and it gives you access to everything from redundant controls for the various media and audio sources that are available throughout the MMI system, As well as the ability to control the seat massagers, the lights, the blinds in the car. So I can pop into the massage setting right here in this seat, and adjust to for a stretching massage on my back. And then I can pop into the lighting menu and aim the LED matrix lights in the roof exactly where I want them to be so that I can read. Or if I wanted to I can just pop that in where it's gonna charge and always be ready. And enjoy these two displays that are mounted on the backs of the front seats. Now, they're touch sensitive and feature a redundant menu similar to the rest of the MMI system that gives you, again, control of a lot of the media sources throughout the car. But if you swipe over, you'll find that they're also fledged and web connected android tablets. So you can pop into the Play Store and install Netflix or maybe even install YouTube and watch some Road Show videos on the go. So there's been your look at all of the technology inside of the 2019 Audi A8L. But let me tell you, there's almost as much tech underneath this car as there is inside of it. So, check our full review over on theroadshow.com for even more details about what it's like to actually drive this thing. [MUSIC]