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VW beats Audi, Lexus, BMW and MB in interior tech
Starting from next year all new Volkswagen models will be equipped with a touchscreen controller unit, from budget Polo hatchbacks to the more expensive Touareg and Phaeton models. The touchscreens will be used to control the air-conditioning, satnav, radio and trip-computer.

The news comes from VW design chief Walter de’ Silva. Read Article



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S4cabriofoxoneS4cabriofoxone - 11/11/2007 7:00:01 PMView My AgentSpace
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That should be standard in Audi models, also, but I'm sure it won't be because of their devotion to MMI.

Well, it sounds very interesting. Basically, a much easier-to-use computer system. And one that's not focused on the nav. Nice.

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rg12345rg12345 - 11/11/2007 7:15:01 PM
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MMI is much better, because all the controls are where the right arm is, near the stick. Except current A4. The next A4, all A6, A8, Q7 etc have the MMI positioned in a way you do not have to move your whole body to touch the navi. Same with BMW, much better than this VW system which is positioned on the center of the dash. Touchscreen is nice indeed, but will leave the screen with plenty of fingerprints, not a nice thing to clean it up all day long.

Nope, I will not give my MMI for this ...


S4cabriofoxoneS4cabriofoxone - 11/11/2007 10:09:26 PMView My AgentSpace
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I have the annoying version of MMI (next to the screen) on my S4. It's a beautiful interface, but the controls are very small and/or annoying. I have gotten used to it, of course, but most don't know how to use it when they get in it.


stash84stash84 - 11/11/2007 8:36:37 PM
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uh...so how does that beat lexus, mb, etc??? i have a nav touchscreen in my IS that controls ac, radio etc...even the 2006 model has it.. congrats !! but i dont get it

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ryborybo - 11/11/2007 11:41:29 PM
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they offering them on all models as standard..i'd like to see the others do that..ok maybe Lexus is close



JustaCarJustaCar - 11/11/2007 9:48:50 PM
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I totally agree with rg12345. Touchscreens have no tactile feedback and require too much attention from the driver compared to a system like MMI. With a touchscreen, your eyes have to look at the screen long enough to find the button you need, which can be too long in driving situations. With MMI, your hand just naturally falls to the controller on the center console and, with a little familiarity, all the buttons surronding it can be found without looking down; you just glance at the screen quickly to confirm the action you selected. Touchscreens may be less expensive to manufacture and more intuitive to operate (or should I say more "obvious" to operate), but they are not the safest interface in a driving environment.

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ThierryHenry14ThierryHenry14 - 11/11/2007 9:57:58 PM
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Seems very distractive, touching screens, and making sure you touch the right spot.

Plus, greasy hands and oily hands makes it a hassle.

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stash84stash84 - 11/12/2007 6:07:38 PM
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lol...its really not that difficult..lmao..and even if there are fingerprints on it, they are not visible unless you turn it off and look at it in the light..i dont know what mmi is but touchscreen controls are great..there are less visible buttons and it gives the interior a clean, crisp appearance without alot of clutter..thats just MY opinion


DieselRulesDieselRules - 11/12/2007 1:48:01 AM
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This is great cost-engineering. Putting this in every model drops the price dramatically ( a 7" screen with 800x480 resolution and touch-panel and LED back-light wholesales under $100 at low quantities of 100 units ... versus a 6.4" VGA is abou $150 ... and at VW's volumes it should be pushing sub $50 a unit)
And the only difference between models is the SW.
So the HW is identical, reducing the differences between models, hence reducing low-volume items to design & inventory, dropping the costs across the board.

Plus, these systems are very easy to use right from the start, as they are "self guided".

The downside is:
* no tactile feed-back (often replaced by audio: beep)
* you have to look at the screen. Even a clunky mechanical interface can be completely learned so that your body almost does it automatically, but not a visual interface like this.

Expect it to be a hit with the Facebook/MP3-sharing crowd.

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TheSailorTheSailor - 11/12/2007 7:06:48 AMView My AgentSpace
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There is a reason why the high-end brands don't use this kind of solution... The same reason why you don't see everybody having Tablets instead of Laptops, why most cellphones don't have touch screens (except the iPhone, but that is a rubbish phone anyways)... It just isn't as convenient as the iDrive, the MMI or the Command... each time you have to activate one of the controls, you have to reach out for the touch screen distracting you, you have to "look around" your fingers in order to see what you are pressing and as others have pointed out, you'll have no feedback when pushing the buttons, so you HAVE to look at the screen, not the road... Ohh - and just imagine how that screen will look after you've incidentally push the screen with a blob of dressing from your bigmac stuck to your finger.. YUMMY!

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S4cabriofoxoneS4cabriofoxone - 11/12/2007 9:52:47 PMView My AgentSpace
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The iPhone isn't rubbish... you're just jealous because you don't have one.

:P


TheSailorTheSailor - 11/14/2007 12:42:32 PMView My AgentSpace
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LOL... My Nokia N95 will woop the iPhone sideways... In all conceivable ways... But wait... You wouldn't know that... Because all american phones are rubbish! :D

It's not even video phone compatible! That is SOOOO last century!

So no i'm not jealous of anything...


autoproautopro - 11/12/2007 2:47:36 PMView My AgentSpace
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Is that before or after they break or catch fire?

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