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.

      • Lemmyoutofhere@lemmy.ca
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        3 days ago

        But Tesla was the first to glue an iPad to the dash that does everything, because Tesla builds cheap crap and buttons cost money.

        • Skullgrid@lemmy.world
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          3 days ago

          is that why my fucking electric hob has no buttons? no. the general wave that led to the fucking car having an Ipad was… the iphone