Hyundai will launch the first of its next-generation interiors next year – and bosses promise to keep physical buttons.
The move, confirmed to Autocar by vice president of design Simon Loasby at the Seoul motor show, could also result in a smaller infotainment display and simpler-to-use software for the touchscreen in an effort to improve safety.
The decision echoes that of other makers, such as Volkswagen, which last month promised a return to a more analogue cabin.
Loasby said: “Our vision for our next-generation interiors [is that] the safest way is to keep the driver’s eyes on the road as much as possible.
“With this philosophy in mind, we quite quickly realised that the central screen is actually just a distraction. So [in terms of safety] you really don’t want people to look at the screen: you want them to look at eye level.
“So our philosophy is to keep the eyes on the road and keep your hands on the wheel, and then you could very quickly look at what are your frequent-use interactions. There aren’t many… but you want them to stay as physical buttons because those are things I want to adjust without looking away.”
He added: “It is all about the philosophy of calmness. The technology is there, but it is not shouting at us, but the architecture is keeping the driving experience safe.
“So we will have a balance of physical buttons but the display [will be there too] because it gives you the extra layers you can go in to.”
Hyundai design boss Luc Donckerwolke added that finding the correct screen size – and making it usable – will also be a key part of the next-generation cabins.
Donckerwolke said: “It is always a part of the balance between having the right screen that provides you with the information in a size that allows you to concentrate on driving.
“At the same time, we have to make sure the screens are not forcing you to go into a sub-menus for operations that only required buttons before. So it’s always not overkilling it. If you rely only on screens, you are tending to go away from… hands on the steering wheel and the eyes on the road, which is, for me, the most important factor of security safety.”
He added that while “we all have a love for analogue interaction”, screens “are ideal because you save a lot of tooling by only having the screen”.