European Automakers Reintroduce Buttons as Chinese Rivals Embrace Touchscreens

European car manufacturers are increasingly reintroducing physical buttons to their dashboards in response to concerns from motorists and road safety experts, while Chinese brands are largely continuing to rely on touchscreen interfaces, according to Europe's biggest vehicle crash testing body.

Euro NCAP, in its latest safety ratings, has introduced new criteria that penalize vehicles lacking physical controls for key functions. The organization states that Chinese manufacturers are the most frequent offenders in this regard as they aim to attract buyers with technology-focused interiors.

Under Euro NCAP's Safe Driving assessment, critical controls such as indicators, windscreen wipers, hazard warning lights, the horn, and the eCall emergency button must be operable via a single physical button. Failure to meet these requirements leads to deductions in safety scores, potentially impacting a vehicle's overall five-star rating.

This initiative stems from growing criticism that large, advanced touchscreen systems, while offering a sleek interior aesthetic, can be overly complicated and distracting for drivers. Research indicates that accessing simple functions like radio station changes or climate control adjustments through multiple touchscreen sub-menus requires drivers to divert their attention from the road for extended periods.

Performance Disparities in New Assessments

Recent Euro NCAP assessments highlighted these differences. The Audi Q7, a German luxury SUV, received high marks for its control usability, praised for its clearly visible, ergonomically positioned, and easily operable buttons and stalks. In contrast, the Chinese XPeng X9, a people carrier, scored only 20% due to its heavy reliance on the central touchscreen, which Euro NCAP deemed distracting.

Similarly, the Kia EV2, a smaller SUV, also performed well. However, other Chinese models assessed this year, including the Zeekr 7GT and Aion UT, received scores of just 20 percent for control usability. The Leapmotor B05 family hatchback performed worst, scoring zero.

Euro NCAP's Programme Director, Dr. Aled Williams, noted that while European manufacturers are demonstrating a return to more common-sense control layouts, Chinese brands are often adhering to a philosophy of integrating everything into the touchscreen, despite negative feedback from European consumers.

European brands like BMW, with its iX3 scoring a perfect 100 percent, and Cupra, with the Raval achieving 80 percent, have shown success in retaining physical controls. These results underscore a divergence in design philosophy between established European automakers, who appear to be prioritizing driver focus, and newer Chinese entrants, who are leaning heavily into digital interfaces.

Consumer Criticism and Industry Response

Consumer criticism regarding the safety implications of touchscreen-dominated interfaces has been mounting. A recent test by What Car? magazine found that in some vehicles, simple tasks like changing a radio station could take up to 81 seconds to complete via touchscreen, significantly increasing driver distraction. The survey also revealed that 85 percent of motorists believe car infotainment systems should feature more physical buttons.

Brands like Mercedes, with its 55.5-inch Hyperscreen, and even Volvo, which has faced scrutiny over moving basic functions like mirror adjustments to its EX30 EV's touchscreen, exemplify the trend that Euro NCAP is now actively evaluating and penalizing. The shift towards prioritizing physical controls for essential functions is seen by Euro NCAP as a critical step in reducing driver distraction and enhancing overall vehicle safety.