Say what you will about Volkswagen, but it's always had functional interiors with a straightforward dashboard design and intuitive controls. Well, that all changed when the eighth-generation Golf came out in 2019 as the folks from Wolfsburg decided to try something new with touch controls. We're not just talking about the finicky buttons on the steering wheel but also the touch slider below the infotainment to adjust the temperature.
The ID.3 also received this setup as well as models from other VW Group mainstream brands. In a brutally honest interview with Autocar, CEO Thomas Schäfer basically admitted touch controls have been a mistake. The man in charge of the VW core brand said touch controls "definitely did a lot of damage" and the company "had frustrated customers who shouldn't be frustrated." Thankfully, a fix is on the way as the German brand will get rid of the climate control sliders and haptic steering wheel buttons.
