The capacitive steering wheel controls will be the first to go.
This is what Volkswagen owners want
Progress for the sake of progress isn’t always progress. Also, when something’s not broken, don’t fix it… Automakers like Volkswagen somehow got the idea that consumers no longer want actual buttons in their cars when, in fact, it’s quite the opposite. This is why the German automaker will soon ditch the haptic steering wheel-mounted control and return to real buttons.
2022 Volkswagen Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition | Photo: Volkswagen
We’re certain that some people were surveyed some five years ago about buttons on steering wheels, but the sampling was either too small or the participants too ignorant or young. We assume this as VW’s received nothing but flack over these terrible non-intuitive controls from the moment they were added to the 8th generation Golf, ID.4, Jetta, and many others.
Thomas Schäfer, Volkswagen CEO, posted on LinkedIn saying: “We are sharpening our portfolio and our design, plus creating a new simplicity in operating our vehicles. For example, we are bringing back the push-button steering wheel! That’s what customers want from VW.”
2022 Volkswagen ID4 | Photo: Olivier Delorme
While these controls are terrible, we pray VW will also revise many other “buttons” such as the window controls in the ID.4 and essentially all other non-physical infotainment and HVAC controls. Let’s face it: 14-year-old’ are not buying vehicles and won’t be able to afford one for at least a decade. It’s best to cater to 35-year-olds and above now.
