Hyundai sticks with knobs

Hyundai says it will keep real knobs and buttons for volume and climate controls instead of moving those functions fully onto touchscreens. (thedrive.com) Olabisi Boyle, Hyundai Motor North America’s senior vice president for product planning and mobility strategy, told The Drive at the 2026 New York Auto Show that the company will “always” keep those physical controls. The outlet published the interview on April 13, 2026. (thedrive.com) The policy covers the controls drivers use most often while moving: cabin temperature, fan settings, and audio volume. Hyundai’s pitch is that drivers can find a knob or button by touch faster than they can hunt through a screen menu. (thedrive.com) This is not a one-day reversal. In April 2025, Hyundai design vice president Simon Loasby told Autocar the brand’s next-generation interiors due from 2026 would keep physical buttons and could even use smaller infotainment screens with simpler software. (autocar.co.uk) Hyundai had already been saying for years that touchscreen-heavy cabins can pull a driver’s eyes off the road. In a 2022 interview, design chief SangYup Lee told The Drive that safety-related controls such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and volume should stay as hard keys. (thedrive.com) The wider car industry has been moving the same way after a decade of giant-screen interiors. Volkswagen design chief Andreas Mindt said in March 2025 that future Volkswagen models would bring back physical controls for volume, heating, fan speed, and hazard lights. (autoguide.com) Safety raters are also pushing automakers toward tactile controls. Euro NCAP said in December 2025 that its 2026 testing update would change how it evaluates “driver controls” as part of a broader overhaul aimed at modern driving risks. (euroncap.com) For buyers, Hyundai’s message is narrower than “screens are gone.” The company is still keeping central displays for navigation, media, and vehicle settings, but it is drawing a line around the functions drivers adjust most often with one hand while the car is moving. (autocar.co.uk, thedrive.com))