Physical buttons to return on future VW cars, SUVs

Volkswagen is all set to bring back physical buttons in the interior of its future models drawing inspiration from the ID 2all concept SUV. The touchscreen-heavy approach taken for the newer models has proven unpopular with customers, prompting the company to go back on its approach to interior design.

VW interior designer Darius Watola said the ID 2all concept “showed a new approach for all models” and was in response to “recent feedback from customers”.

VW CEO Thomas Schafer recently claimed the touchscreen approach "did a lot of damage" to the brand. The new interior has a row of physical (and backlit) buttons for the climate controls and a rotary controller on the central tunnel to control the touchscreen, much like with BMW’s iDrive.

Along with a main central touchscreen for infotainment, there's also a screen for driving information. Watola said such a display in the driver’s eyeline is crucial for safety, and added that “customers had a different view in Europe” than in other global markets. There's also a revolution in terms of materials used, as VW is looking to phase out hard plastics, glue, leather and chrome. Almost every surface in the ID 2all is soft to the touch, mixing fabrics and Alcantara as part of its sustainability push. There's limited use of some woods and metals too.

Watola expressed a desire to see as many features and materials as possible in the production car in 2025 (which now seems unlikely to take the ID 2 name into showrooms). The concept’s screens can be selected in different themes, including retro graphics from the original Golf, and this feature is expected to make it to production.

Its clever storage features such as the foldable bottom half of the rear bench, which allows a bike to be put in the rear passenger foot well, and a storage space beneath the floor of the 490-litre boot that’s big enough for three big drinks crates are also expected to make it to production.