A8's new controls help driver keep eyes on the road

BARCELONA, Spain — Audi, beginning with the launch of its next-generation A8 flagship sedan, will incorporate haptic feedback into its center stack infotainment and climate controls.

The pulse and an audible response will be adjustable, acknowledging driver commands and enabling the motorist to keep eyes on the road. Audi revealed the system last week at a press event here.

Audi is redesigning its human-machine interfaces across its lineup, beginning with the A8, to incorporate haptic feedback, which the brand views as an added safety measure.

The A8 retains its head-up display and an easily configurable instrument cluster to keep driver attention focused straight ahead, along with steering wheel control buttons that allow drivers to control about 80 percent of vehicle functions without taking their hands off the wheel.

The redesigned A8 is to arrive in U.S. showrooms in the second quarter of 2018.