Most Innovative Infotainment System of the Year: Audi MMI

As automakers have added more features to infotainment systems, they've struggled to balance a rich function set with ease of use and the need to not distract drivers.

Audi's MMI system embodies ease of use, a robustness of features and a distinctly contemporary luxury experience, all while minimizing distraction. And for that, the Audi MMI system takes the 2018 Edmunds CES Tech Driven Award for Most Innovative Infotainment System.

Integration between MMI and the Virtual Cockpit gauge cluster provides the best cabin experience, allowing multiple configurations of useful displays, from a classic driver-oriented gauge cluster to a detailed map that keeps navigation instructions closer to the driver's natural line of sight. The crisp screens and smooth animations convey a distinctly 21st-century luxury experience. None of the screen real estate feels wasted, and none of the functions seem perfunctory or included just for show.

Beneath the sharp graphics lies a robust system that can match any competitor for sheer functionality, with smartphone integration, Google-powered navigation, a high-speed cellular data connection, and app connectivity that has just expanded to include access to Amazon streaming music services. The menu structure is clearly labeled and straightforward to navigate. It's one of the easiest to learn, and using it quickly becomes second nature. Voice controls are likewise intuitive and robust, accepting more natural inputs and responding quickly and accurately to commands.

Audi's rotary knob system is effectively streamlined and significantly less distracting to use, especially when the vehicle is in motion, than many competitors' interfaces. The MMI Touch touchpad adds a useful extra input option, recognizing traced letters and numbers to enter phone numbers, search for addresses and locations, and find songs. The location of these controls on the center console allows the driver to maintain a proper driving position while navigating the MMI system, and they require less of the driver's attention be diverted to the screen.

In our preliminary experiences with Audi's new dual MMI Touch Response Display, we've found it translates the strengths of the existing MMI interface to a touchscreen system. It offers impressive graphical quality combined with easy-to-master menus and haptic feedback to reduce a driver's need to keep eyes on the screen during use. The clean, modern feel continues to distinguish Audi's infotainment.

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