Speaking to Autocar recently, Magnus Östberg, Mercedes-Benz's software chief, confirmed the luxury marque will reintroduce more tactile controls into its vehicles, citing compelling evidence that "data shows us physical buttons are better".

This strategic pivot will debut in the new GLC and CLA Shooting Brake electric models, marking a significant departure from the touchscreen-heavy approach that has dominated automotive design in recent years.

"Achieving the right balance between physical buttons and touchscreen technology is absolutely crucial for us," Östberg emphasised. "We're entirely data-driven in our approach... the evidence clearly demonstrates that physical buttons deliver superior performance, which is precisely why we're reintroducing them."

The redesigned steering wheel will feature the restored button layout, though digital displays will continue to play a role within the cabin architecture.

Mercedes-Benz's decision reflects a wider industry reassessment. Volkswagen made headlines in March when it announced plans to restore physical controls across its entire model range, a remarkable U-turn for a manufacturer that had embraced touchscreen interfaces.

The German giant's own analysis revealed significant customer dissatisfaction. "Modern vehicles have increasingly adopted touchscreen controls to create cleaner designs and enhanced visual appeal," acknowledged a Volkswagen statement.

"Nevertheless, this evolution has frequently frustrated drivers, who consider touch-based interfaces unwieldy and dangerous whilst driving. Numerous Volkswagen owners have expressed serious concerns about control usability, especially for fundamental operations such as climate adjustment, audio controls and emergency hazard activation."

Volkswagen's research highlighted multiple advantages of physical controls: superior safety performance, enhanced user experience, improved accessibility for all drivers and greater long-term reliability.

The shift gains additional momentum from evolving safety regulations. The prestigious European New Car Assessment Programme announced last year that it would mandate increased physical controls whilst restricting touchscreen dependency in its rigorous safety evaluations.

These new requirements take effect from January 2026, with five-star safety ratings contingent upon manufacturers providing physical buttons, stalks or rotary controls for essential functions, including indicators, hazard warnings, horn activation, windscreen wipers and emergency systems.

Despite consumer and regulatory pressure, returning to physical controls presents substantial technical and financial hurdles for manufacturers.

Industry analyst Sam Abuelsamid from Telemetry warns that button-based systems demand significant investment. "The engineering requirements are extensive, from initial design through comprehensive component validation," he explained to The Drive. "Manufacturing complexity increases dramatically when developing dashboards or steering wheels incorporating multiple physical controls."

Touchscreens emerged partly because modern vehicles pack increasingly sophisticated feature sets, Abuelsamid noted. "Finding the optimal middle ground between complete touchscreen integration and entirely physical controls becomes essential when vehicles offer extensive functionality," he observed.

AutoPacific's product and consumer insights manager, Robby DeGraff, highlighted the economic reality facing manufacturers: screen-based interfaces often prove more cost-effective than engineering multiple switches and tactile controls.

The industry now faces the challenge of balancing consumer preferences, safety requirements and economic constraints as the pendulum swings back towards physical automotive interfaces.