The 2027 Hyundai Tucson may look heavily focused on touchscreens at first glance, but a closer look reveals a different approach. Beneath its large central display is a bank of physical toggle switches and two knobs, giving drivers real controls for frequently used functions.
Hyundai Emphasizes Physical Controls
The Tucson’s dashboard is dominated by a large touchscreen that incorporates information about driver assistance, warnings and other functions. The instrument display is a slim unit focused on the basics, making the physical controls below the main screen particularly noticeable.
Hyundai executives emphasized that the decision was made in response to customer feedback. The company also indicated that physical controls will appear not only in the Tucson but in other future Hyundai models.
Hyundai Executives Explain the Switchgear
Hyundai Motor Company President and CEO Jose Munoz opened the presentation for the press with a video highlighting the new Tucson’s design, target customers and technology, including its Android Automotive-based infotainment system.
Munoz also specifically highlighted the SUV’s physical controls. Senior Vice President and Head of the Hyundai Design Center Simon Loasby later addressed the controls as well, explaining that they are intended for frequently used functions and play a role in comfort and safety while driving.
Senior Vice President for Product and Mobility Strategy Olabisi Boyle provided further details about why Hyundai chose to retain physical switchgear.
“A driver adjusting the temperature in traffic is doing it on muscle memory, and you can’t build muscle memory on a menu. So we placed each function where it’s least distracting, and the daily ones stay physical. Climate controls you use while driving are real buttons right below the screen: no menu, no haptic pad, no glancing away from the road.”
With three senior executives highlighting the change, physical controls are clearly an important part of Hyundai’s approach to the new Tucson.
Physical Controls Could Extend Beyond the Tucson
Hyundai’s move toward physical switchgear is not limited to the Tucson. While the company has not revealed the final U.S.-spec Elantra, photos of the Korean-market Avante show the same bank of switches positioned below a large touchscreen.
The Avante has historically been identical to the Elantra apart from minor feature changes, making the appearance of the same control arrangement notable.
Other Automakers Are Bringing Back Physical Switches
Hyundai is not the only automaker moving toward more physical controls after years of increasingly touchscreen-focused interiors.
Volkswagen’s new generation of EVs, beginning with the ID. Polo and ID. Cross, is adopting some real buttons after the company’s touch-heavy interfaces were critically panned in vehicles such as the ID.3 and ID.4. The new ID. Tiguan is also supposed to receive the new controls.
Volvo is taking a similar approach. The European automaker has faced backlash over touchscreens and problematic software, and the company’s head of design recently said Volvo plans to implement more physical controls in the future.
Mazda Takes a Different Approach
Not every automaker is following the same path. Mazda, a company that had strongly maintained physical controls and continued using a control knob for its infotainment system, appears to be moving further toward touchscreens.
The new CX-5 primarily uses a large screen, with basically no buttons for commonly used functions. An executive even claimed the approach was safer, despite Mazda having said the opposite for years.
The 2027 Hyundai Tucson therefore stands out for combining a large touchscreen with a dedicated set of physical controls, reflecting Hyundai’s stated focus on keeping frequently used functions accessible without navigating menus.
