Mercedes-Benz screens have grown dramatically in size and number in recent years, but CEO Ola Källenius acknowledges that the industry may have gone too far in replacing physical controls with digital interfaces. Mercedes-Benz plans to bring back some physical buttons while continuing to expand its use of screens.
Mercedes-Benz Screens Have Transformed Cabin Design
New Mercedes-Benz vehicles feature more screens than ever, with displays also growing substantially compared with models from only a few years ago.
The tri-screen MBUX Hyperscreen, available in some high-end models, can measure up to 56 inches wide. It is the largest display fitted to a Mercedes-Benz production car, stretching across the dashboard from one side to the other.
Mercedes-Benz Plans to Bring Back Physical Buttons
Screen-heavy interiors have faced criticism from customers as Mercedes-Benz and other automakers have reduced the number of physical buttons. More vehicle functions have moved from traditional switches to touchscreen controls, prompting complaints from some owners.
Speaking recently with British automotive media, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius acknowledged those concerns, saying “the industry as a while might have gone a little bit too far” toward digital controls.
Källenius told Autocar that Mercedes-Benz is responding by bringing back physical controls, including actual buttons on its cars’ steering wheels.
“Sometimes you get a bit ahead of yourself and do technology for the sake of technology and maybe forget a little bit about the customer. So from now on, you will see us reintroduce the most sensible buttons,” Källenius said.
Mercedes-Benz Is Not Done Adding Screens
For drivers who prefer physical buttons, however, the shift may not represent a broader move away from large displays. Källenius indicated that Mercedes-Benz still sees room for more screens.
“I don’t think we’re at maximum screen, but we are at low buttons,” Källenius told Auto Express when asked how Mercedes-Benz interiors would continue to evolve from current models.
The comments raise the possibility of even more screens in future Mercedes-Benz vehicles. With the full-size MBUX Hyperscreen already spanning the dashboard, and the smaller Superscreen setup appearing in vehicles such as the new CLA, additional locations could be limited.
Mercedes-Benz Continues to Focus on User Interface
Källenius remains highly positive about the latest displays in current Mercedes-Benz models, despite the sharp reduction in physical buttons that accompanied their introduction.
The latest CLA, for example, has just four buttons, a volume scroller and the hazard switch. Other functions require the driver to use the display.
“We spend countless hours on UI [user interface]. I spend hours every year discussing this with our engineers and we joke it needs to be so easy that either a five-year-old kid or a Mercedes board member can use it,” Källenius told Autocar.
“That is the hurdle, and once you familiarize yourself with it, it becomes second nature.”
Mercedes-Benz is therefore moving toward a cabin design that combines the return of some physical controls with continued development of its increasingly prominent screen-based interfaces.
