New cars should not be mobile phones on wheels. At least not those from Volkswagen. That is what the brand's chief designer, Andreas Mindt, now promises.
Volkswagen denies that the brand's future models will become mobile phones on wheels.
Instead, the Germans will focus on, among other things, getting physical buttons back into cars. This will start with the ID.2, which will arrive next year.
At the same time, design manager Andreas Mindt regrets that the brand went too far when it comes to touchscreens and surfaces in the current models.
– We will never, ever make that mistake again. We need to put physical buttons back on the steering wheel now. No more guessing.
– That's the feedback we've gotten. And people love it.
Even the CEO thinks Volkswagen's infotainment is 'terrible'
– Honestly, it should be a car and not a phone, Andreas Mindt said when he was at the launch of the ID.EVERY1 concept car last week, which will eventually become the ID.1.
Although touch buttons will not disappear completely in Volkswagen cars, they will be supplemented by physical buttons for the most important functions in the future. Read more about it here.
They (physical buttons, ed.) will be in every car we make from now on. We have understood the message, adds Mindt, referring to both criticism and feedback from customers.
The cars will still have screens for navigation systems and mandatory rearview cameras, but not at the expense of physical buttons. At least not anymore.
Volkswagen has previously received heavy criticism for the group's infotainment systems. They are both too complicated and too slow.
Even the CEO, Thomas Schäfer, thinks it's crazy. For the same reason, the group has chosen to scrap most of its own development and give American Rivian billions of euros to develop something new.
Thomas Schäfer has said in a previous interview with Autocar that Volkswagen's first offer of infotainment systems for electric cars is 'a terrible experience for customers'.
The new ID.2, however, will have to do without Rivian's help. Unlike the ID.1, the ID.2, which is the same size as the current Golf, will be based on VW's own infotainment system.
Andreas Mindt doesn't elaborate on why. But it could be because the launch is so close that it's too late to redesign the car.
