Volkswagen will restore physical buttons to the dashboard in its latest compact car, part of a wider move away from touchscreens.
In a particularly retro touch, the new ID Polo will even have a volume dial.
For a decade or so, automakers rushed to replace knobs and switches with screens, Autoblog noted in October, but users largely disliked them: Controlling the air conditioning, for example, required delving through submenus while driving, which was both difficult and dangerous. Research found that using touchscreens took longer and distracted drivers.
Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and VW have all announced plans to return to more tactile controls, and US and EU regulators announced last year that cars with touchscreen controls could get worse safety ratings.
Touchscreens in cars was a terrible development. The natural haptic feedback of physical buttons is a must, while operating a vehicle.
Touchscreens are wonderful in a car, just not for basic functionality. You can pry my Android Auto out of my cold dead hands.
You can have Android Auto without a touchscreen. My newish Mazda has joystick like controls for the screen.
Seems even more distracting than a touchscreen.
It’s not a joystick per se, it’s a tilting knob, kind of like a 3D mouse. Older Benz models had the same setup, it’s great.
Still requires you to stare at a screen while guiding a 3000lb slab of steel in public.
Up to a point. The rotation wheel has tactile feedback, it works really well in practice.