VW Bringing Back Physical Buttons in All Models
Volkswagen in recent years has been shifting in-vehicle controls to touchscreen and haptic feedback, which sounds very futuristic, but in reality can be annoying in the best-case scenario and a safety hazard in the worst.
The automaker has obviously heard the complaints about turning its products into smartphones on wheels and it's doing something about it. Autocar recently spoke with Andreas Mindt, VW's design chief, and he said the company is bringing back physical buttons for the five most important functions in every vehicle it makes, starting with the ID 2all due out next year.
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The functions at the center of the physical control renaissance are the volume, the heating on each side of the car, the fans and the hazard light.
'They will be in every car that we make from now on. We understood this,' he told the publication. 'We will never, ever make this mistake anymore. On the steering wheel, we will have physical buttons. No guessing anymore. There's feedback, it's real, and people love this. Honestly, it's a car. It's not a phone: it's a car.'
That's likely for the best, at least until in-vehicle voice assistants reach the point where they can seamlessly understand and respond to drivers' commands. Whereas voice controls could help drivers stay focused on the road while futzing with their cars, touchscreens can be a real distraction. A 2019 AAA study suggested that infotainment systems can distract drivers for up to 40 seconds, time that would be better spent making sure your car doesn't speed through a red light or cross the median into oncoming traffic.
Even though VW will decrease the reliance on touchscreen technology in its future vehicles, it doesn't mean the company is getting rid of the in-dash iPad all together. It will still be there, in part to deliver legally required features like the backup camera, and also allow users to navigate the deep functionality of the vehicle.
But VW heard the gripes and it's bringing back the doodads and doohickeys. Complaining works!
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