Audi's flagship Q9 SUV was initially designed with electronic door handles, but CEO Gernot Döllner vetoed them after a single test drive.
Döllner told media that the electric handles, which used a touch-sensitive wing to trigger an electromechanical unlatch, were not as satisfying or practical in everyday use.
“We had an innovative door handle concept [but] we had a final test drive and said, it's innovative, but from a customer perspective, it's worse than a conventional door handle,” Döllner explained.
China's ban on such handles played only a minor role, according to the CEO. The decision was primarily based on customer experience.
Last-Minute Change
The design change came late in development, forcing costly manufacturing revisions. Döllner praised his body engineers for completing the switch in a short time.
“Normally, it takes two years to change [door handles], but our body engineers did an outstanding job, and we were a little bit lucky that it worked package-wise,” he said.
The Q9 still features other advanced tech, including electrically-powered doors, a panoramic glass roof, and curved OLED taillights.
Positioned above the Q7, the Q9 competes with the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS, offering six- and seven-seat layouts.
European models get a 295 hp 3.0-liter diesel, while American versions feature a 429 hp 2.9-liter V6, and the SQ9 delivers 591 hp from a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8.
