Volkswagen Revives Physical Buttons In Cars and Exposes Flaws Of The Digital Era

Written by Caio Aviz

Published on 01/07/2025 at 18:38

Updated on 01/07/2025 at 18:41

Motorista ajusta botões físicos no painel de um Volkswagen, reforçando segurança e conforto durante a direção.

Be the first to react!

Trend Resurges With Focus on Safety and Usability

Volkswagen, known for anticipating automotive trends, decided to revive physical buttons on the panels of its vehicles.
This change was revealed by Thomas Schäfer, global CEO of the brand, during an interview with the British site Autocar in June 2024.
According to Schäfer, the decision addresses demands from consumers who value safety and practicality while driving.
The automaker reaffirms its commitment to ergonomics, avoiding distractions and reducing errors caused by touch screens.

Enhanced Safety Boosts the Return of Tactile Technologies

With discussions about distractions while driving, the return of physical buttons at Volkswagen has become a strategic priority.
Since 2020, drivers have reported difficulties in operating multimedia systems using only digital commands.
According to Automotive News Europe, published in May 2024, research indicates that drivers prefer traditional controls.
These commands require less time for visual diversion.
Thus, the automaker bets on integrating digital solutions with tactile controls, seeking a balance between innovation and safety.

European Market Directs Manufacturer Decisions

In major European markets, the return to physical buttons is already showing a positive impact.
According to Der Spiegel, published in April 2024, German customers prefer vehicles with more intuitive panels.
Additionally, Volkswagen announced that new models, such as the updated Golf, will bring this configuration starting in 2025.
This strategy strengthens the brand’s image, adapting to regional trends without compromising technological advancement.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Consumers Influence Innovations in Interior Design

To meet various demands, Volkswagen conducts periodic opinion surveys.
In March 2024, 68% of respondents reported missing physical controls in newer cars.
Thus, the company promises to align digitalization and ergonomics, maintaining virtual assistants while not neglecting manual solutions.
This demonstrates that the automaker listens to its audience and implements changes based on concrete data.
The brand follows transparent standards and does not create unrealistic expectations.

Future Plans Balance Technology and User Experience

Volkswagen’s projection indicates that, therefore, by 2026 all vehicles in the main line should, in addition, adopt the hybrid concept.
Physical buttons will be allies, therefore, to digital interfaces, which enhances the experience.
This configuration ensures, thus, greater usability, especially on heavily trafficked roads.
This stance, in this way, strengthens consumer confidence.
The brand, therefore, establishes itself as a reference in solutions that unite comfort and safety.

0 Comments

most recent

older Most voted

Built-in feedback

View all comments

Cristian

#146681

01/07/2025 19:15

A Honda já percebeu isso a 3 anos atrás. Quando substituiu os botões digitais dos AC e o mínimo no multimídia….

Respond

Volkswagen Revives Physical Buttons In Cars and Exposes Flaws Of The Digital Era

Trend Resurges With Focus on Safety and Usability

Enhanced Safety Boosts the Return of Tactile Technologies

European Market Directs Manufacturer Decisions

Consumers Influence Innovations in Interior Design

Future Plans Balance Technology and User Experience

While an average building in London or New York takes three years to be completed, in China a 26-story tower went up in five days with about 100 workers, and the global modular construction market already moves US$ 95 billion per year.

Australia installs giant concrete structures on the seabed 800 meters from the shore to create an ocean intake for desalination that will draw in saltwater and produce 30 million liters of drinking water per day.

While a traditional school may take several days just to raise walls, in Malawi a 3D-printed school had its structure ready in 18 hours, welcomed children in June, and showed a new solution to the lack of classrooms.

Goodbye traditional washing machine: Panasonic surprises housewives with the NA-G5 featuring four drums, a 13 kg washer and dryer, a 12 kg dryer, independent mini washers, a heat pump, and a 4-in-1 system awarded at the German Design Award.

While cities spend fortunes patching potholes and tons of plastic become waste, the Netherlands transforms over 218,000 recycled cups into a modular bike path that can conceal drainage, cables, and pipes.

Empty beer bottle turns into sand, and the sand turns into concrete: an American city has discovered how to recycle glass locally using a solar-powered truck that crushes five tons of bottles per day in a local circular economy project.

While the US and China compete over who will first deploy a hypersonic aircraft on a commercial route, JAXA tested a 2-meter demonstrator with a hydrogen ramjet engine in 2026 under conditions equivalent to Mach 5 with an external temperature of 1832 degrees Fahrenheit.

Attention: Bolsa Família app will undergo changes and the update will reach 19 million families

While traditional driving schools lose 70% of enrollments, the Brazilian government saves R$ 1.8 billion in 5 months with the free theoretical CNH course on the official app and exempts 1.5 million candidates from the mandatory 45 hours.

While Tesla is still awaiting approval for FSD in China, XPENG deploys the country’s first mass-produced robotaxi unit in Guangzhou, with 3,000 TOPS of computing power and latency under 80 ms without LiDAR.

While traditional driving schools lose up to 70% of enrollments, the official app of the Ministry of Transport connects 172,200 accredited instructors to students via GPS and reduces the cost of the first driver’s license by up to 80%.

Volkswagen Revives Physical Buttons In Cars and Exposes Flaws Of The Digital Era

Trend Resurges With Focus on Safety and Usability

Enhanced Safety Boosts the Return of Tactile Technologies

European Market Directs Manufacturer Decisions

Consumers Influence Innovations in Interior Design

Future Plans Balance Technology and User Experience

While an average building in London or New York takes three years to be completed, in China a 26-story tower went up in five days with about 100 workers, and the global modular construction market already moves US$ 95 billion per year.

Australia installs giant concrete structures on the seabed 800 meters from the shore to create an ocean intake for desalination that will draw in saltwater and produce 30 million liters of drinking water per day.

While a traditional school may take several days just to raise walls, in Malawi a 3D-printed school had its structure ready in 18 hours, welcomed children in June, and showed a new solution to the lack of classrooms.

Goodbye traditional washing machine: Panasonic surprises housewives with the NA-G5 featuring four drums, a 13 kg washer and dryer, a 12 kg dryer, independent mini washers, a heat pump, and a 4-in-1 system awarded at the German Design Award.

While cities spend fortunes patching potholes and tons of plastic become waste, the Netherlands transforms over 218,000 recycled cups into a modular bike path that can conceal drainage, cables, and pipes.

Empty beer bottle turns into sand, and the sand turns into concrete: an American city has discovered how to recycle glass locally using a solar-powered truck that crushes five tons of bottles per day in a local circular economy project.

While traditional driving schools lose 70% of enrollments, the Brazilian government saves R$ 1.8 billion in 5 months with the free theoretical CNH course on the official app and exempts 1.5 million candidates from the mandatory 45 hours.

While Tesla is still awaiting approval for FSD in China, XPENG deploys the country’s first mass-produced robotaxi unit in Guangzhou, with 3,000 TOPS of computing power and latency under 80 ms without LiDAR.

While traditional driving schools lose up to 70% of enrollments, the official app of the Ministry of Transport connects 172,200 accredited instructors to students via GPS and reduces the cost of the first driver’s license by up to 80%.

Honda launches Elevate cheaper than Honda HR-V, Toyota Corolla Cross, Hyundai Creta, Jeep Compass, and Volkswagen Taos in Brazil, with a 1.5 i-VTEC engine of 121 hp, manual or CVT transmission, and Honda Sensing; SUV shows a simpler, more rational, and accessible global Honda in India.

Used Honda Fit that many Brazilians overlook offers a trunk space of up to 1,045 liters with Magic Seat, a 1.5 i-VTEC engine with 116 hp, fuel consumption of 14.1 km/l on the highway, and seat technology that no popular SUV offers for the same price.

While the US and China compete over who will first deploy a hypersonic aircraft on a commercial route, JAXA tested a 2-meter demonstrator with a hydrogen ramjet engine in 2026 under conditions equivalent to Mach 5 with an external temperature of 1832 degrees Fahrenheit.

Attention: Bolsa Família app will undergo changes and the update will reach 19 million families

While traditional driving schools lose 70% of enrollments, the Brazilian government saves R$ 1.8 billion in 5 months with the free theoretical CNH course on the official app and exempts 1.5 million candidates from the mandatory 45 hours.

While Tesla is still awaiting approval for FSD in China, XPENG deploys the country’s first mass-produced robotaxi unit in Guangzhou, with 3,000 TOPS of computing power and latency under 80 ms without LiDAR.

While traditional driving schools lose up to 70% of enrollments, the official app of the Ministry of Transport connects 172,200 accredited instructors to students via GPS and reduces the cost of the first driver’s license by up to 80%.