We Need to Discuss the Excessive Screen Usage in Vehicles. What Are Your Thoughts on This? | Carscoops

      It seems like everyone has jumped on the "screens everywhere" trend these days, but is it truly the right direction?

      19 hours ago

      by Stephen Rivers

      The new Porsche Cayenne Electric's interior is filled with OLED, AR, and passenger displays.

      Critics suggest that digital dashboards come across as cheap, disposable, and lacking in craftsmanship.

      This discussion underscores the contrast between convenience and enduring quality as well as timeless design.

      If you take a quick glance at the automotive scene, one noticeable trend in cabin design is that screens are dominating. Almost every new vehicle on the market, irrespective of price or category, has at least one screen, and most feature multiple. Interior design has transformed into a competition of pixels.

      Some luxury models, like the new Porsche Cayenne Electric, are loaded with screens. So, the question arises: what do you genuinely think about the industry’s fixation on fully digital dashboards?

      In the case of the Cayenne Electric, the focus is on immersion. It comes with a curved OLED digital instrument cluster, a 14.25-inch central touchscreen, and an optional 87-inch augmented reality head-up display that spans the windshield.

      Screens Everywhere, All at Once

      Even passengers are included, as they have access to a 14.9-inch display for video streaming and app management. Porsche has also integrated AI-driven voice assistance, a Digital Key that can be shared among seven users, and new “Mood Modes” that adjust lighting, climate, and seating to suit your preferences.

      But is having more screens actually advantageous? Not everyone agrees. Automotive writer Jack Baruth has argued that “screens are for proles,” correctly noting how swiftly full-width LCD dashboards are making their way from premium vehicles to budget-friendly Chinese sedans, and in Porsche’s instance, vice versa.

      His argument highlights that screens are becoming cheaper every year, and what seems advanced today might appear generic in the near future. That same shiny array of displays in a $200,000 Porsche is likely to be found in $10,000 electric city cars that possess all the allure of a microwave.

      Craft Over Circuits

      That's why Bugatti, for instance, has opted for mechanical, gear-driven instrument clusters in the new Tourbillon. This expensive, traditional approach prioritizes craftsmanship over pixels. When we evaluated the Rolls-Royce Spectre, the physical controls similarly stood out.

      Lessons From the Quartz Era

      Need another illustration? Think back to the 1970s and early 1980s, during the quartz crisis, when LED and digital timepieces led everyone to believe that traditional ticking watches were outdated. For a long time, red digits and quartz technology represented modernity—until they became ubiquitous and lost their appeal.

      Once the novelty faded and the market became saturated with low-cost versions, the mechanical watch steadily regained its place, particularly among luxury brands, revered not for convenience but for their character.

      A similar scenario might unfold in automotive interiors, where illuminated dashboards brimming with screens suggest a future yet may age like those once-coveted digital watches, susceptible to their own transient and impersonal novelty.

      Finding the Balance

      On one side, digital dashboards provide undeniable convenience, personalization, and technological integration. On the flip side, they risk making vehicles feel increasingly disposable, interchangeable, and less unique – and in just a few years, they'll show their age as technology evolves rapidly. Just look at infotainment screens from the 2000s.

      We're not advocating for the complete elimination of screens, but perhaps they need to be used more judiciously. Implement them where they are practical, such as for infotainment, navigation, or supplementary readouts, and allow traditional physical controls to handle the rest instead of relying solely on touchscreens.

      Additionally: Which BMW Model Or Era Had The Best Interior Design?

      Buttons, switches, and dials not only provide a better tactile experience but also grant designers the freedom to create interiors with some character again, rather than conforming to the uniform glass-slab design every brand now labels as “minimalist,” which typically results in one extensive screen stretching from side to side.

      So, we pose the question to you: Do you appreciate the versatility and high-tech aesthetic of digital dashboards, or would you prefer to see more manufacturers revive timeless mechanical gauges?