- Hyundai is slowly backing away from the all-screen strategy to inside design.
- Hyundai Design North America Vice President Ha Hak-soo stated that folks “get confused, aggravated and steamed once they wish to management one thing in a pinch however are unable to take action.”
Screens inside new automobiles are higher than ever. They’re enormous, they’ve nice decision and the software program behind them is normally snappy and effectively thought out. However after years of shoving what are primarily TVs on dashboards, it seems that folks don’t actually like coping with them, particularly if accessing often-used options like local weather management or quantity settings means digging via menus on a display screen whereas driving.
That’s harmful, however it’s additionally very annoying, as Hyundai Design North America (HDNA) came upon via the magic of focus teams. That’s why the Korean automaker is seeking to convey again old school buttons in upcoming automobiles. The facelifted Ioniq 5 already has a redesigned HVAC management panel, however extra are within the pipeline.
“As we had been including built-in [infotainment] screens in our automobiles, we additionally tried placing touchscreen-based controls, and other people didn’t want that,” stated HDNA Vice President Ha Hak-soo in a current interview with Korea JoongAng Every day.
The rationale why Hyundai–like different automakers–went down the all-touchscreen path was initially because of the “wow” issue of Telsa’s giant multimedia techniques. The Korean automaker even went so far as placing two touchscreens on the steering wheel of an idea again in 2019. Finally, although, Hyundai modified its thoughts and is now slowly reversing course.
“After we examined with our focus group, we realized that folks get confused, aggravated and steamed once they wish to management one thing in a pinch however are unable to take action,” Ha stated.
Photograph by: InsideEVs
The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 has a redesigned switchgear panel on the middle console.
For an excellent variety of years, automotive journalists, fans and business consultants have sounded the alarm for automakers to cease with the touchscreen controls. Extra just lately, The European New Automotive Assesment Progamme, higher often known as Euro NCAP, which performs crash testing and points a star-based security ranking, entered the dialogue with a extra critical tone. in easy phrases, the group stated that starting in 2026, automakers should match bodily buttons for sure capabilities in the event that they wish to get a five-star ranking, the very best potential. That’s along with the same old energetic and passive security options like airbags and automated emergency braking.
It’s cool having an enormous display screen–and even a number of screens–inside a automotive. It’s even a reasonably well-disguised cost-cutting measure, regardless of few automakers admitting it. However it’s actually distracting to must undergo a menu or a slide-out bar to vary the temperature or skip the present music. With a easy bodily button or knob–and no, these shiny haptic surfaces aren’t the identical factor–you possibly can simply attain out and do what you need with out even trying.
