Audi’s trick Matrix LED headlights are finally coming to America. The automaker announced today that its innovative lighting technology will be available later this year with the launch of the 2027 Q9 and hotter SQ9 SUVs.
Audi’s Matrix lights use front cameras to detect oncoming traffic and vehicles ahead, selectively masking the beam around them and continuously reconfiguring the light pattern. The system dims only the pixels that could cause a glare. This maintains full illumination on the important parts of the road while minimizing glare for other drivers.
Audi introduced the technology in 2013, but strict US regulations effectively banned it. The US Department of Transportation altered those rules in 2022 to allow for adaptive beam driving headlights, and Audi’s engineers have worked to ensure the technology meets those regulations.
The headlight module features 25,600 individually controllable micro-LEDs. Each micro-LED module is about 13 millimeters wide, or just over half an inch, while the LED is approximately half the thickness of a human hair.
The new Q9 features an intricate headlight system that uses a single housing. On top is the multi-segment LED daytime running light that includes a turn indicator. Below are the actual headlights, which consist of the Matrix LED and LED low-beam module and the micro-LED module that functions as the main beam.
Motor1’s Take: It’s about time Audi’s Matrix LED headlights are finally available in America. Drivers who hate excessive glare and bright headlights should rejoice, as we expect this technology to end up on other Audi models and beyond now that the US has changed its regulations.
