Why are carmakers bringing back physical buttons?

I’m not a big fan of touchscreen controls in cars, and a quick look at social media will show that I’m not alone. For many, grabbing a knob or prodding a button is easier and more intuitive on the move than navigating a screen, but this hasn’t stopped manufacturers from deleting physical switchgear.

And I can see why they do it. Routing everything through a screen is way cheaper than making a button, plus it allows the car maker to add new features through over-the-air updates. I’m not saying I like it, but I get it.

The thing is, it seems as though the internet’s whinging is starting to have an effect – because a few brands have started to reintroduce physical buttons into their cars. This is mostly down to customer feedback, but it could also be due to Euro NCAP’s new rules which penalise cars for having unintuitive control layouts.

Here are some of the manufacturers bringing physical buttons back into their car interiors.

Volkswagen

This is a biggy, because few brands have faced as much flack for touchscreen controls as Volkswagen. When it introduced the eighth-generation Golf back in 2020, the touch-sensitive steering wheel buttons and climate control sliders were not well-received.

Things improved with the facelifted Golf in 2024, with tactile buttons on the steering wheel replacing the infuriating touchpads, and future models will be even better.

The new Volkswagen ID Polo has a neat row of switches for the climate control, as well as real buttons on the steering wheel. Volkswagen has been very good at holding its hands up and admitting the touch-based interface was a mistake, with CEO Thomas Schafer promising that buttons are back for good.

MG

One of the criticisms we had of the MG4 when it came out in 2022 was its fiddly infotainment system. Sure, there was a row of shortcut buttons beneath the infotainment system for things like your demisters, but adjusting the temperature or fan speed was a faff.

But now there’s an updated version of the MG4 which fixes this. The interior has been completely revamped with a new, larger touchscreen and some proper knobs beneath it for your climate control and volume. Proof that some manufacturers do listen to feedback.

Skoda

Skoda never deleted buttons as such, but when the latest Octavia came out in 2020 it became much more touchscreen-dependent than its predecessor. It’s a similar story in the Enyaq electric SUV, but then the latest Superb and Kodiaq came along to put our fears at rest.

Those cars have three rather clever dials on the dashboard. Each has a little screen in the middle, and you can toggle their functions by pressing them in. You can control your fan speed, temperature, heated seats and stereo volume all from the same set of dials, which cleans up the interior design while still being easy to use on the move.

Tesla

Ever since the Model S went on sale back in 2012, Tesla’s interiors have been known for their minimalism. The latest Model 3 and Model Y are devoid of any buttons at all, but in 2023 it went a step too far for some customers.

When the updated Model 3 was revealed, it didn’t even have an indicator stalk. It used buttons on the steering wheel instead, and some people even developed aftermarket bluetooth stalks to get around this.

Even Tesla had to admit that this was too much, and it added the indicator stalk back to the Model 3 around a year later. It still works in an odd way though, because your high beams and windscreen washers are still buttons on the wheel.

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