I’ve never hidden my aversion to jumbo-sized screens that swallow physical buttons and force drivers to rely on the infotainment system for even the simplest functions. Hyundai had promised to buck that trend, arguing it’s safer to stick with conventional controls mounted on the center console. However, its latest electric SUV is the exact opposite of what the Korean automaker has been claiming in recent years. It’s a veritable screen fest.
Previewed a few months ago, the Elexio is Hyundai’s first dedicated EV engineered specifically for China. It’s been five years in the making, and new official images finally reveal the SUV’s interior. Beijing Hyundai, the joint venture established in 2002 with BAIC Motor, used the Weibo social media platform to share photos of the vehicle’s simplified dashboard, dominated by an ultra-wide screen.
Photo by: Hyundai
Photo by: Hyundai
The massive 27-inch display combines the infotainment system with a passenger screen, while the driver still gets a separate digital display positioned in their line of sight. Removing the buttons frees up center console space, which is now occupied by two large wireless charging pads and four cupholders. Hyundai says there are no fewer than 29 storage areas scattered throughout the cabin.
The steering wheel still features a healthy number of physical buttons, and thankfully, the conventional kind rather than touch-sensitive keys. Traditional controls are also found on the door panel for window and mirror adjustments, as well as more buttons on the overhead console. Behind the steering wheel are three stalks, one of which functions as the gear selector.
Yet the complete lack of dashboard buttons, aside from the hazard lights, is surprising, especially considering Hyundai’s earlier statements. In March 2023, the company’s head of design, SangYup Lee, voiced safety concerns: “When you’re driving, it’s hard to control it [the touchscreen]. This is why, when it’s a hard key, it’s easier to sense and feel it.”
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Source: Hyundai
By November 2024, Hyundai Design North America’s Vice President Hak Soo Ha acknowledged growing frustration with touch controls:
“As we were adding integrated [infotainment] screens in our vehicles, we also tried out putting touchscreen-based controls, and people didn’t prefer that. When we tested with our focus group, we realized that people get stressed, annoyed, and steamed when they want to control something in a pinch but are unable to do so.”
Earlier this year, Senior Vice President of Design Simon Loasby called the overreliance on screens a “distraction,” adding: “You really don’t want people to look at the screen—you want them to look at eye level.”
The Hyundai Group’s design chief, Luc Donckerwolke, echoed that sentiment, saying people “have a love for analogue interaction,” but conceded that automakers cut costs by consolidating functions into a screen: “You save a lot of tooling by only having the screen.”
So, why does the Elexio contradict all of this? It might boil down to regional preferences. Volkswagen’s boss in China, Ralf Brandstätter, recently noted that local buyers prefer “AI-first, connected vehicles, with seamless voice control and smart cockpits.” By contrast, Europeans want buttons.
Photo by: Honda
Buttons appear to be fading fast in China, as virtually every recent car debut there features a screen-heavy interior. A striking example is the Honda GT, which features an overwhelming number of displays and minimal physical controls. All of a sudden, the Elexio’s cabin seems restrained by comparison.
But Hyundai’s decision to go all-in on screen-based interfaces might not be limited to China. The upcoming Pleos Connect infotainment system, launching in Q2 2026, will feature a giant tablet-style setup. Hyundai plans to roll it out to over 20 million vehicles by decade’s end. It’ll run on a proprietary OS derived from Android Automotive (AAOS), offering a smartphone-like interface. Whether any physical buttons will survive remains to be seen, but we’re skeptical.
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