Hyundai keeps real knobs

Hyundai says it will keep physical knobs and buttons for volume and climate controls in future vehicles, even as dashboards add bigger screens. (thedrive.com) The company made that point at the 2026 New York Auto Show, where Hyundai design executives said customers still want tactile controls for functions they use constantly while driving. (thedrive.com) That stance extends a position Hyundai has been signaling for several years. In a 2024 interview, Hyundai Design North America said touchscreen-heavy cabins left drivers “stressed” and “annoyed,” and that focus groups preferred hard keys for common tasks. (thedrive.com) The fight over knobs is really about where drivers look. A physical dial can be found by feel, while a touchscreen often asks for a glance, a tap on a small target, and sometimes a submenu. (thedrive.com) Safety groups have been moving in the same direction. Euro New Car Assessment Programme said its 2026 testing changes push automakers to provide physical controls for key functions like indicators, hazard lights, wipers, headlights, and the horn, or reserve a fixed part of the screen for them. (euroncap.com) Hyundai is not abandoning screens. The company’s recent models still center the cabin around large digital displays, but vehicles like the Kona, Ioniq 9, and updated Tucson have kept or restored separate climate controls and a real volume knob. (thedrive.com 1) (thedrive.com 2) (theautopian.com) Other carmakers have already reversed course on at least one control. The Drive noted that Honda removed the volume knob from some models in the mid-2010s and later brought it back after customer backlash. (thedrive.com) Hyundai’s message at this year’s show was narrower than a full return to old-school dashboards: keep the controls drivers touch most, and let the screen handle the rest. (thedrive.com)