KATHMANDU : Mercedes-Benz has acknowledged that the automotive industry went too far by removing too many physical buttons from car interiors. The German automaker plans to bring back more physical controls for frequently used functions in future models.
Mercedes-Benz sales and marketing chief Mathias Geisen said customers still like large screens. However, they also want physical controls for specific functions.
The company reached this conclusion through customer research clinics. Buyers reportedly said they liked large displays but wanted hard controls for commonly used functions.
Mercedes-Benz introduced its large MBUX Hyperscreen in 2021. The system brought multiple displays together across the dashboard.
The company now plans to find a balance between digital displays and physical controls. Large screens will remain an important part of its future interiors.
Mercedes-Benz believes large displays offer greater customization and personalization. However, customers do not want to navigate through menus for basic functions such as adjusting the temperature or volume.
The first changes are already appearing. Mercedes-Benz has replaced some haptic steering-wheel controls with physical scroll wheels.
The move is not limited to Mercedes-Benz. Automakers including Volkswagen, Hyundai and Subaru have also started bringing back physical controls in some models.
Safety concerns are also influencing the shift. Euro NCAP plans to give greater consideration to vehicles that retain physical controls for essential functions.
For Mercedes-Benz, the future will likely combine large digital displays with more traditional controls. The company is not abandoning screens, but it is making room for buttons again.
