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.

  • DaddleDew@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    I swear I’ve seen an article about that every year for at least the last 4 years. It’s always about Volkswagen too. Are they really changing things or they’re just talking about it?

    • Ilovethebomb@sh.itjust.works
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      3 days ago

      The next generation of vehicles typically takes 4-5 years of design to be released, so I’m not sure what else you expect?