Hyundai to roll out next-gen interior design in 2026; buttons to stay, infotainment screens may get smaller

Hyundai will begin rolling out its next-generation cabin designs for models that will debut next year, with physical buttons set to stay in a bid to improve safety through reduced distraction, reported Autocar.

This move from the Korean manufacturer comes as Volkswagen has also proclaimed a return to physical controls, from its prior direction that is heavily reliant on touchscreens and haptic surfaces and was criticised by users as a result.

Confirming the move was Hyundai VP of design Simon Loasby, who said that the new design direction could also see the adoption of smaller infotainment displays and touchscreen software that is easier to use for improved safety.

“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,” Loasby said.

“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 continued.

Therefore, the aim is to have a balance between physical buttons and the touchscreen display that allows for extra layers that the user can go into. Loasby noted that the move is about “a philosophy of calmness”, where the design architecture helps to keep the driving experience safe.

Finding the correct screen size that presents information while still allowing the driver to concentrate on driving will be a key part of next-generation cabins, said Hyundai design chief Luc Donckerwolke.

“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 [the practice of] hands on the steering wheel and the eyes on the road, which is, for me, the most important factor of safety,” Donckerwolke said.

In more general terms, Donckerwolke sees that the car industry “will see a return of the analogue and the reduction of screens” in the next one or two model generations. Hyundai is also working on the interior layouts of upcoming N-badged high-performance models, Loasby said. “When it comes to [N models], we put more on the steering wheel, because if I’ve got gloves on, I can’t use the touchscreen,” he said.

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