In an attempt to offer modern-looking interiors, several car makers including Volkswagen (VW) have switched to a touch-sensitive interface for things like climate and media controls. While the idea sounds good on paper, the touch interface is actually a usability nightmare. In fact, it is one of our major complaints with the new Volkswagen models like the Arteon, Mk8 Golf and the updated Tiguan Allspace.
It appears that VW has finally realised that using touch-sensitive buttons was a bad idea and VW CEO Thomas Schäfer has revealed that the carmaker will be bringing back push buttons for its steering wheels due to customer demand.
In his Linkedin post, Thomas said the industry is in the midst of a big transformation and what is crucial now is listening carefully to their customers, learning and providing answers to the pressing questions of the time. He said “We are sharpening our portfolio and our design, plus creating a new simplicity in operating our vehicles. For example, we are bringing back the push-button steering wheel! That’s what customers want from VW.”
The return of physical buttons is good news and we hope this would extend beyond the steering wheel controls. Unfortunately, there was no timeline mentioned and it isn’t clear if VW will bring back physical buttons on the next facelift or only for its upcoming all-new models. On the current Golf, the capacitive interface is also found on the centre console and on the upper right section of the dashboard to toggle the foglamps and demisters.
Honda which used a touch interface for aircon controls on its previous generation models has recently made a U-turn as well. The climate controls on the current Honda City, City Hatchback, HR-V and Civic, now use tactile buttons and knobs which feel good to operate. It is much more practical to use and you can easily adjust the fan speed and temperate without keeping your eyes off the road.
Besides the interface, VW says they are stepping up its brand’s electrification efforts and will launch ten new EV models worldwide by 2026 to cover every relevant segment. It will also continue to push its digitalisation efforts for its entire customer journey. At the moment, customers in Germany, France and Italy can complete their entire car purchase process online and VW will expand this experience to more markets.
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