Mercedes-Benz reverses course on touch controls, brings back physical buttons

Mercedes-Benz is the latest automaker to walk back its all-touchscreen interior strategy, confirming that future models will reintroduce physical buttons, switches, and dials for frequently used controls. Sales chief Mathias Geisen said the reversal came directly from customer feedback two years ago, with drivers telling the brand that touch-sensitive controls and menu-buried functions simply did not work in practice.

Unlike Audi and Volkswagen, which are shrinking their displays to accommodate the returning hardware, Mercedes is keeping its screens large. The upcoming GLC and C-Class will still ship with the 39.1-inch MBUX Hyperscreen spanning the dashboard, but pair it with hard keys ahead of the wireless chargers and restored physical controls on the steering wheel. The new GLC arrives in Q4 2026 on the MB.EA EV platform, with the C-Class following in early 2027.

The shift reflects a broader industry correction after years of treating capacitive surfaces as a premium signal. Geisen still defends large screens as essential to mirroring the smartphone experience drivers expect, but concedes that specific functions need tactile, eyes-off access — a usability principle the touchscreen-first generation of interiors largely ignored.