Volkswagen has finally realized that their touchscreens and touch sliders were driving us crazy! Just over a decade ago, VW cars were the benchmark for ergonomics. Then came the minimalism trend, and VW decided to move most functions to a big touchscreen. The result? People were frustrated to the max! VW’s head of technical development, Kai Grünitz, openly admits it was a mistake and announces a return to traditional physical buttons in future models.
The new interior design for the ID.3 and ID.4 models brings back real buttons for the five most important functions: volume, heating for both sides, ventilation, and all four turn signals. And that’s not all – the steering wheel will finally have physical buttons, not those useless capacitive touch surfaces that only confused drivers.
Volkswagen admits that removing conventional switches was a dumb mistake. If something works for years, why change it? This return to old-school controls isn’t just for electric models but also for those with classic engines. The refreshed Golf in GTI and R trims already has real buttons on the steering wheel, and the R-Line package ditched capacitive buttons in version 8.5.
This move by VW is like saying, “Enough with playing around with screens, people want real buttons!” Many hope sister brands like Škoda and Audi will follow suit. The first models with the new interior are expected this year – the serial version of the ID.2, followed by refreshed ID.3 and ID.4.
So, if you ever wondered why driving used to be simpler and more fun, VW is bringing that joy back. No more sliding your fingers over cold screens, just real, tactile buttons that give feedback. Finally, a car is not a phone!
Are you one of those who got annoyed by touch sliders and capacitive buttons? Or did you enjoy the modern screens? Drop a comment and tell us what you think about this blast from the past – or better yet, a return to the future!
