Hyundai Admits Pulling Out Physical Controls Wasn't So Smart
Over the past few years, the Korean automaker has emphasized cleaner-looking interiors with highly digitalized interfaces in its new model generations and new electric vehicles. Many physical controls have been eliminated in the process, particularly when it comes to HVAC systems. The Ioniq 5 and Santa Fe are good examples, while the popular Kona has somehow resisted the trend.
Well, Hyundai now admits it might have been a mistake.
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“As we were adding integrated [infotainment] screens in our vehicles, we also tried out putting touchscreen-based controls, and people didn’t prefer that,” Ha Hak-soo, the automaker’s vice president of design for North America, told Korea JoonAng Daily.
Curiously, Hyundai did conduct tests among its focus group and “realized that people get stressed, annoyed and steamed when they want to control something in a pinch but are unable to do so,” the executive added.
Touchscreens and touch controls sure look nice and are pleasant to use when parked, but it’s another story when driving and trying to keep one’s eyes on the road. They require more attention and more time than simple buttons and knobs that can be intuitively found and operated by the driver’s right hand. The 2025 Ioniq 5 boasts slight revisions to the centre control panel, but it’s not going to make much of a difference in the end.
Despite Hyundai’s own admission that many people prefer physical controls, the company won’t be going back, it seems, and drivers will have to get used to it. In the same interview for Korea JoonAng Daily, Ha Hak-soo said that advancements in driver-assistance technology including AI-powered virtual assistants will come to help them and allows them to relax more behind the wheel.
“Hey Hyundai, redirect ventilation to my feet because I’m burning down there and I’m having trouble hitting the damn button…”
