The 2027 Audi Q9 is making headlines this week for all the right reasons. It’s the company’s biggest SUV and serves as a belated answer to the Mercedes-Benz GLS and BMW X7. There’s now a proper third row compared to the Q7, making it the most spacious Audi to date.
The full-size luxobarge certainly has big shoes to fill, as it’s indirectly and temporarily replacing the A8 as the flagship model. But something else caught our attention. Audi appears to be scaling back its use of piano black trim. Although not completely gone, glossy surfaces have been visibly reduced throughout the enormous six-seat cabin. In their place, the new Q9 uses matte and textured materials, which should be far less prone to smudges and fingerprints.
While it’s certainly a step in the right direction, we can all agree the material should be removed entirely from all areas, or at least from the surfaces you touch most often. In the Q9, the buttons on the steering wheel and center console are still bathed in the dreaded glossy plastic. Additionally, the shiny trim surrounding the air vents shows that Audi still isn’t fully ready to give up on this design trend.
Piano Black Trim: Disadvantages
We’ll admit piano black looks great in images, but that’s about it. In real life, it doesn’t take long before the first scratches appear. The mirrored surface collects dust, and depending on where it’s used, sunlight reflecting off the shiny trim can create distracting glare while driving. It also ages poorly and becomes noticeably hot on a scorching summer day.
Having owned a Volkswagen Group car for the past decade, I hope the Q9 is a sign of things to come and that all brands within the German automotive conglomerate will switch to other materials. That said, it is unrealistic to expect piano black trim to disappear overnight, but it has been around for so long that it’s high time for car companies to move on to something else.
If shiny black surfaces are the bane of your existence, Audi appears to have listened. Logic suggests the next-generation Q7, debuting later this year, should also keep piano black to a minimum. But much like the Q9, the former largest SUV to wear the fabled Four Rings will likely feature a screen-heavy dashboard. The good news is that Ingolstadt has already previewed an interior design that not only eliminates piano black almost entirely but also significantly reduces overall screen real estate.
There Is Hope For Better Audi Interiors
Arriving near the end of 2027, the production version of last year’s Concept C will usher in a new era of interior design at Audi. In an interview with Motor1 in 2025, the company admitted quality had slipped in recent years and promised a return to form with the electric targa-topped sports car. Expect not only better materials, but also smaller screens and more physical controls.
As for why the Q9 isn’t following the Concept C’s rulebook, it’s important to remember that a vehicle’s development is signed off long before it officially debuts. Although it still hasn’t been fully revealed, the three-row SUV is part of the old guard of Audis, alongside the upcoming third-generation Q7. The sporty EV should be the first model to receive a noticeable quality boost before the philosophy ideally spreads across the lineup.
Delaying the Q9, or the Q7, for that matter, to align with Audi’s new direction wouldn’t have made sense. The company is already late to the full-size SUV party, so the Q9 can’t arrive soon enough. Meanwhile, the current Q7 has been around for more than a decade, meaning a replacement is long overdue. The Q7 may have undergone two facelifts, but it’s getting long in the tooth.
Looking at Audi’s main competitors, Mercedes recently facelifted the GLE and GLS, while BMW is preparing to unveil the next-gen X5 this summer, with a new X7 launching in 2027.
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Source: Audi
Old Annoyances Meet New Ones
With the Q9, Audi appears to be taking baby steps toward addressing some of the criticism surrounding modern luxury car interiors. At the same time, the overreliance on screens creates a new problem, especially now that the climate controls have fully migrated into the main display. At least the outgoing Q7 had a separate lower touchscreen for quick access to frequently used settings.
As with everything in life, we have to take the good with the bad. The Concept C gives us hope for a better future, but it’s best to wait and see how that vision materializes in an Audi that people can actually buy.
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