Touchscreens or buttons? Carmakers face a dilemma with dashboard design

Mercedes-Benz recently unveiled their new all-electric C-Class sedan and the internet wasn’t pleased. The criticism seemed to be aimed squarely at the vehicle’s dashboard, which featured touchscreens across its breadth. This, after the brand’s Chief Software Officer, Magnus Östberg, stated that consumer data shows a strong preference towards physical buttons. 

Automotive brands are digitising dashboards and eliminating physical buttons for a combination of economic, technological and branding reasons. While it is often marketed as “the future of mobility,” the shift is as much about manufacturing efficiency and software monetisation as it is about design innovation.

A large touchscreen is significantly cheaper and simpler to engineer than dozens of physical switches, knobs and mechanical controls. Traditional buttons require individual components, wiring harnesses, mounting systems and durability testing. A touchscreen consolidates all of that into a single interface.

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Mainstream adoption of large touchscreens began with Tesla’s Model S, first launched in 2012, placing a 17-inch vertical touchscreen that was larger than most laptops. Soon touchscreens became synonymous with the future, and in the following decade, as cars became increasingly software-driven, the screens have only gotten larger.

Tesla fundamentally changed the industry’s thinking here. The minimalist interior of a Tesla made giant screens appear futuristic and premium. Suddenly, the absence of buttons became associated with technological sophistication. Carmakers across price segments began imitating the aesthetic because consumers started equating “screen-heavy” with “advanced.”

What consumers could be vulnerable to in the future

Modern vehicles are increasingly becoming “software-defined vehicles,” meaning features are controlled digitally rather than mechanically. When functions are software-based, automakers can update or add features remotely through over-the-air (OTA) updates, thereby creating new revenue opportunities.

For example, instead of permanently installing a physical feature, a company can lock it behind a subscription or future software purchase including heated seats, adaptive lighting, drive modes, advanced navigation and performance upgrades – all of these could be put behind a paywall. A touchscreen-centric architecture makes these features easier to manage and monetise, even though it does lessen the aesthetic appeal of car interiors, especially when turned-off, at which point, it’s a smorgasbord of fingerprints.

Another reason is platform standardisation. Global manufacturers now build multiple vehicles on shared EV or modular platforms. A unified digital interface can be deployed across several models and markets with minimal changes. It is far easier to localise software than redesign physical dashboards for every region/

The simple fact is that too much digitisation and lack of immediate access to tactile buttons poses a safety risk, as the driver has to look directly at the screen in order to adjust everything from the temperature to the drive modes. According to the Technical Director of Euro NCAP (Europe’s New Car Assessment Program) "Euro NCAP will indeed incentivise OEMs to have physical, easy-to-use, and tactile controls of the main driving features like wipers, warning lights, and indicators. Despite global shifts toward tactile, physical buttons to reduce distraction, Indian market trends often prioritize digital-first cabins, and as a result, our own crash safety protocols are yet to be updated to reflect the trend against digitisation.

How much autonomy is too much autonomy?

The effects of digitisation aren’t limited to touchscreens alone. It’s also about offering a robust suite of autonomous features. At its launch of the MPV7 SUV, Vinfast India recently deviated from the norm by not offering ADAS technology in a Rs 24.5 lakh car, citing that there was no consumer demand. Vinfast may be an outlier in this instance with an overpriced product that has little to boast in the features department.

A 2024 survey by HERE Technologies found that 91 percent of Indian respondents believed ADAS is important for road safety, while 82 percent said they would be willing to invest in ADAS-equipped vehicles. The survey also highlighted widespread anxiety around Indian road conditions, with 98 percent expressing safety concerns. Yet many drivers disable or selectively use these systems because of chaotic traffic conditions and poor road infrastructure which make ADAS more of an impediment.

Although buttons may make a comeback, the ADAS option is now a permanent fixture of most mid-size and upward cars. A 2026 academic study published in Transport Policy examined Indian consumers’ familiarity and willingness to pay for ADAS. It found that awareness remains uneven, mental models around how ADAS works are often incomplete, and trust levels strongly influence adoption. The study also noted that Indian consumers preferred flexibility – optional ADAS packages or subscription-style systems – rather than compulsory integration.

The saturation of technology is hitting international motorcycle markets as well, with many novice consumers preferring simple, analog motorcycling to the complex (and expensive) computers on wheels that are modern premium motorcycles. In developed markets, the 450-750cc segment is the fastest growing one, suggesting that consumers want motorcycles to feel usable rather than aspirational.

India however, seems to largely prefer the promise of technology and connectivity offered by digitisation. It remains an aspirational market for most, and as such, likely to confuse excess digitisation as the gilded age of technology.

Parth Charan is an automotive journalist based in Mumbai.