The car brand Hyundai acknowledges it may have gone too far with touchscreens, as many customers have expressed frustration over the shift from traditional buttons to digital controls.
Touchscreens have simplified car interiors, but this development has also created issues, especially for drivers. Many find screens difficult to operate while driving, particularly when adjusting basic controls like air conditioning or radio volume.
Hyundai has recognized that this technology may not meet all customers' needs.
In an interview with Korea JoongAng Daily, Deputy Director Ha Hak-soo explained: “When we started to integrate a touch-based interface, we discovered that people don’t prefer it.”
Ha elaborated that focus groups revealed drivers often felt stressed or annoyed when they couldn't quickly find the settings they needed. According to Ha, touchscreens are an unnecessary burden when drivers need quick, easy access to common controls, such as operating the radio.
Touchscreen technology is popular among designers because it allows for a minimalist interior, and it’s cheaper to consolidate functions into one screen than to spread them across multiple buttons.
But this doesn’t suit drivers well.
Many find operating a touchscreen challenging when they already need to concentrate on the road. Hyundai’s customers have even said they miss cars with physical buttons.
Hyundai is responding to drivers' dissatisfaction with screens. For this reason, several of the "old" buttons that disappeared with the introduction of touchscreens are returning. A notable example is the facelifted Ioniq 5, which still includes physical buttons.
Hyundai isn’t alone in this shift.
Volkswagen has also reintroduced physical buttons in response to customer demand. Meanwhile, BMW’s CEO, Oliver Zipse, believes that oversized screens in cars may eventually be banned altogether.
