Mercedes-Benz recently showcased the new CLA and the GLC electric SUV. Both models are not only loaded to the gills with tech and features, they also get a high quality interior with multiple textures and materials along with return of physical buttons for some functions.
Speaking to our sister publication Autocar UK at the Munich motor show, the brand’s chief software officer Magnus Ostberg explained that the decision is entirely data-driven. “We’re completely data-driven, seeing that what is actually something that is used high-frequency, data shows us physical buttons are better,” he said.
Usage data from Mercedes’ software-defined vehicles (SDVs), such as the recently revealed electric CLA Shooting Brake and GLC SUV, showed that certain functions are more intuitive and frequently used when controlled via physical switches rather than touch or voice commands. As a result, the new CLA and GLC feature redesigned steering wheels with a mix of rollers, rockers, and buttons.
This new steering wheel design will gradually become standard across the Mercedes range, including retrofitting to existing models. According to Ostberg, this is the most cost-effective way of reintroducing physical controls without compromising the brand’s digital-first cabin design philosophy.
Interestingly, Mercedes also found that drivers in Asia prefer touchscreen and voice-operated controls, which could lead to market-specific steering wheel layouts in the future. Beyond the steering wheel, Mercedes is exploring additional physical controls in its SUV lineup. Larger cabins allow more packaging flexibility, and SUV buyers tend to value tactile inputs more, Ostberg noted.
The move comes shortly after the debut of the GLC EV, which features a massive 39.1-inch MBUX Hyperscreen that spans the width of the dashboard. But as chief design officer Gordon Wagener pointed out, screen sizes have likely reached their practical limits. “We have reached a point where you cannot make the screen much bigger,” he said, emphasizing that premium interiors will increasingly be defined by software sophistication, artificial intelligence, and voice-command integration rather than sheer display size.