Audi Q9 switches to traditional door handles after late‑stage redesign

Audi announced that the upcoming Q9 SUV will use conventional mechanical door handles instead of the previously planned electronic system. The change was made about 45 weeks before the start of production, after CEO Gernot Dollner evaluated a prototype and concluded that the electronic concept offered a poorer user experience and raised safety concerns.

Engineers had to redesign the door‑opening mechanism at short notice, but the team succeeded without delaying the model’s launch. Dollner said, "One special thing I’m proud of is the ordinary door handle," and noted that the electronic handle technology will be applied to a different European model in another segment, not the large SUV. The decision reflects a broader industry reassessment of futuristic door‑handle designs, with some manufacturers scaling back such features over safety considerations.