Volkswagen has officially announced that it will reintroduce physical buttons in its future models, starting with the ID.2all. The company confirmed on March 7 that key functions — including heating, ventilation, audio volume, and hazard lights — will be controlled through physical buttons beneath the infotainment screen.
Volkswagen’s decision marks a significant shift from the industry trend of replacing traditional buttons and dials with touchscreens. The company acknowledged that its previous move toward touch-based controls was a mistake, citing strong feedback from consumers.
“Drivers made it clear — a car is not a smartphone,” a Volkswagen executive admitted in a recent interview. “We won’t make the same mistake again.”
More Than Just Feedback? Euro NCAP’s New Safety Standards
Volkswagen’s reversal wasn’t solely based on consumer feedback. Upcoming changes also influenced the decision in European safety regulations.
The European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) will introduce new safety standards in 2026. To achieve a top five-star rating, automakers must ensure that key functions—including hazard lights, turn signals, wipers, horns, and emergency call systems—can be physically operated rather than solely operated via touchscreens.
Euro NCAP has criticized the growing reliance on touchscreens, describing it as an “industry-wide problem” that compromises driver safety by increasing cognitive load and distraction.
By reintroducing physical controls, Volkswagen addresses consumer preferences and positions itself to meet future safety standards.
Touchscreens: Inconvenient by Design? Cost-Cutting Measures in Disguise
Over the past decade, the auto industry has embraced touchscreens as a central control interface, mainly driven by cost-saving measures.
Touchscreens simplify interior design and reduce manufacturing costs by eliminating the need for separate buttons, dials, and control modules. Tesla has led the way in this trend — some of its models have replaced nearly all physical controls with a single display, including turn signals and gear shifts integrated into the steering wheel’s touch-sensitive buttons.
However, consumer frustration has grown as touchscreens have introduced complexity to basic tasks, such as adjusting climate controls or engaging driver assistance features. Safety experts have also raised concerns that navigating multi-layered touchscreen menus while driving increases distraction and response time in emergencies.
Industry Impact — A Return to Analog Controls?
Volkswagen’s decision to reintroduce physical buttons could signal the beginning of a larger industry shift.
In recent models, Hyundai and Kia have also heavily digitized their control interfaces, including climate functions. However, driver feedback suggests that this shift has come at the cost of convenience and safety.
In the Volvo EX30, mirror adjustments and rear window defrosting were hidden in touchscreen sub-menus, enhancing design simplicity but frustrating drivers who need quick, direct access to these controls.
With Euro NCAP’s new guidelines on the horizon, automakers like Hyundai, Kia, and Volvo may soon follow Volkswagen’s example and restore more physical controls.
