Key Points
- Volkswagen is reintroducing physical buttons in its new ID. Polo electric vehicle.
- The interior features real buttons, switches, and a knob for audio controls.
- The company’s chief designer says physical buttons “provide stability and trust.”
- The ID. Polo will be sold in Europe, but it will not be available in the United States.
Car enthusiasts, rejoice! Volkswagen is leading the charge to bring back real, physical buttons to the car interior. The German automaker just unveiled the inside of its new ID. Polo, a compact electric vehicle, is a refreshing change from the touchscreen-heavy designs we’ve seen in recent years. The new EV features a row of clear, physical buttons, a set of switches, and even a good old-fashioned knob for controlling the radio.
Volkswagen’s chief designer, Andreas Mindt, said the goal was to create an interior that feels “like a friend from the very first contact.” He believes that “clear physical buttons provide stability and trust,” a sentiment that many drivers who have fumbled with a touchscreen while driving will surely appreciate.
This isn’t a one-off experiment. Last year, Mindt promised that Volkswagen would reintroduce physical controls for the most important functions in every car it makes from now on.
The ID. Polo is the first car to make good on that promise. It has a set of physical buttons below the main infotainment screen, and the steering wheel also features real buttons. Between the driver and passenger, there’s a knob that adjusts the volume or changes the radio station.
But don’t worry, the car isn’t going completely old-school. It still features a 10.25-inch digital screen behind the steering wheel and a nearly 13-inch touchscreen in the center for the infotainment system. As a fun little easter egg, you can even switch the digital cockpit display to a “retro” mode that looks like the dashboard of a classic 1980s Volkswagen Golf.
The ID. Polo is the first of four new small and compact EVs that Volkswagen is launching in Europe this year. Unfortunately for American drivers, the company has no plans to bring this button-filled EV to the U.S. market.
