Why luxury car brands are shunning touchscreens for old-school buttons
by Tony Davis · Australian Financial ReviewTony DavisMotoring writer
Jun 21, 2026 – 5.00am
The pullback from touchpad controls continues, with Volkswagen, Audi and Mercedes-Benz among those makers reintroducing more physical buttons to their cockpits and in some cases reducing the size of touchscreens.
There are two reasons: customers of upmarket cars have generally rejected touchpad and “haptic slider” controls as fiddly, and with even the cheapest car now packed with large touchscreens, they no longer designate luxury.
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Tony DavisMotoring writerTony Davis writes on lifestyle specialising in cars. Email Tony at tony.davis@afr.com.au
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