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<\/p>\n\n BMW says touch and voice are the future while rivals like VW and Hyundai rediscover buttons <\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/author\/chris-chilton-cc\/
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by Chris Chilton<\/a><\/p>\n 9 hours ago<\/p>\n BMW<\/a> believes younger drivers increasingly expect touchscreens and voice controls.<\/p>\n Hyundai and Volkswagen are restoring buttons in response to customer feedback.<\/p>\n China\u2019s regulators will soon require physical controls for important vehicle functions.<\/p>\n BMW is betting drivers are ready to stop poking old-fashioned buttons and start talking to their cars. The new 2027 iX3<\/a> dumps conventional climate switches from its dashboard, putting most of them into the touchscreen and upgraded voice assistant as Munich embraces a cleaner digital cabin.<\/p>\n And according to BMW, this isn\u2019t simply about designers deciding buttons are ugly. It\u2019s a response to a broader change in how we interact with technology, particularly among younger customers.<\/p>\n Related: Mercedes Admits It Went Too Far Killing Buttons, But Don\u2019t Expect Fewer Screens<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cA car is not a standalone piece, it\u2019s part of what\u2019s happening around you in society,\u201d BMW<\/a> Group Australia CEO Vikram Pawah told CarExpert.com.au<\/a>. \u201cWe can see that voice and touch are becoming more and more common.\u201d<\/p>\n Pawah suggested the trend is particularly apparent among people aged 45 and younger, who are quicker to adopt touch and voice tech.<\/p>\n \u201cThey want things done quickly and they\u2019re multitasking,\u201d Pawah said. \u201cAnd we have to keep that in mind. That\u2019s how customers are evolving. They are multitasking.\u201d<\/p>\n The new iX3<\/a>\u2018s voice assistant can already understand commands that would have stumped a similar system a decade ago, and besides, BMW\u2019s not worried about a backlash. It\u2019s already weathered one storm over a radical interface reinvention.<\/p>\n Not The First Big BMW Change<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople always feel uncomfortable with radical change,\u201d BMW Group Australia communications boss Leanne Blanckenberg told CarExpert. She pointed to the original iDrive\u2019s (above) controversial 2001 debut, noting that the concept is now commonplace across the industry.<\/p>\n But some rivals have already travelled further down touchscreen boulevard and are now heading back. Hyundai previously admitted its American focus groups became \u201cstressed, annoyed and steamed<\/a>\u201d when drivers couldn\u2019t quickly operate touchscreen functions. It\u2019s since returned more physical controls to its cabins. Mercedes also admits it went too far in banishing buttons from its interiors.<\/p>\n VW Brings Buttons Back<\/p>\n
Volkswagen has made an even more obvious U-turn. After criticism of the touch-heavy Golf and ID.4, newer models such as the ID. Polo<\/a> feature more physical controls on the console, while VW has also ditched controversial touch-sensitive steering-wheel pads for proper clickable switches.<\/p>\n None of those other brands is abandoning voice control. Like BMW, Hyundai, Mercedes and VW are pursuing smarter AI-powered assistants. The difference is increasingly about whether voice and screens should complement physical controls rather than replace them. And China<\/a> might have something to say about that.<\/p>\n New regulations expected to take effect next year will require more than a dozen functions, including indicators, headlights, wipers, hazards and transmission controls, to be operable through fixed physical controls outside the display, complete with tactile or audible feedback.<\/p>\n The iX3 retains traditional stalks and enough conventional controls that it should meet those standards, but that might still not be enough to keep older drivers who prefer traditional buttons happy.<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/BMW-iDrive-Aug24261-1024x576.jpg\")
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