Currently reading: All VWs to get touch-screen interface

Every Volkswagen will get easy-to-operate touch-screen systems

All new Volkswagens will be built with a touch-screen interface from 2008, Wolfsburg’s design chief Walter de’ Silva has said.It’s a move intended to modernise VW’s dated satellite navigation system, which has been criticised for being unintuitive. However, touch-screen systems will also be incorporated into lower-end models like the Polo, which will get a simple-to-use screen to control the climate, radio and trip computer, among other functions.Adding touch-screen to all models will reduce the number of buttons and dials distributed around VW dashboards. Discussing his aims for future models, Walter de’ Silva commented “Simplicity is what we are trying to install, not only in design, but also in the functionality of all new VW models”. The German car giant will beat all other manufacturers by offering the high-tech interface across its model ranges from next year - a move that should be particularly well-received in the North American market, where high-spec in-car gadgetry is particularly popular.

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BOH 24 November 2007

Re: All VWs to get touch-screen interface

Joshua Goodwin wrote:

All very well, but surely a touch-screen interface gizmo will just irritate people. They'll be attempting to press a certain button but actually press its next-door neighbour; they'll try to press a button only to have the car not respond; and so on. It's just a stupid gimmick; simply an attempt to get a bit of attention.

 

I couldn't agree more. Indeed, it's worse than stupid, it's potentially dangerous - it may be OK if you have a passenger who can peer at the screen and fiddle about - but if drivers have to take their eyes off the road and hands off the wheel to mess around with it - then it's an accident waiting to happen. This is why aircraft have "head-up" displays. I've driven VWs for over 40 years but if they introduce this I'll never buy another.

Joshua Goodwin 16 November 2007

Re: All VWs to get touch-screen interface

All very well, but surely a touch-screen interface gizmo will just irritate people. They'll be attempting to press a certain button but actually press its next-door neighbour; they'll try to press a button only to have the car not respond; and so on. It's just a stupid gimmick; simply an attempt to get a bit of attention.

Rory101 16 November 2007

Re: All VWs to get touch-screen interface

Fantastic - so when the inevitable happens and it goes wrong at 5-6yrs old, the car will be unusable and it'll be so expensive to replace that the car will be an economic write off.