Dexter's "what does this button do?" famous quote certainly doesn’t make any sense in today's automotive space. Carmakers have replaced physical buttons with gigantic screens, going all-in on touch-based controls because, apparently, that's what customers wanted.

  

I beg to differ. Physical buttons play a big role in the experience behind the wheel. They don't require a learning curve and benefit from muscle memory, making it easier for the driver to use them without – your guessed it – taking their eyes off the road.

 

Touch-sensitive buttons are a different kind of animal, and now Volkswagen is ready to do something about it. And that something is giving up on touch and returning to physical controls.