Porsche Recognizes It Overstepped by Eliminating Buttons and Knobs in the Taycan.
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The 2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric boasts 50% more screens than the current gas-powered version, yet it still incorporates buttons, toggles, and knobs, and that will remain unchanged.
In Leipzig, Germany, Porsche Cayenne electronics manager Dirk Assfalg informed The Drive that some buttons and knobs, such as a volume knob, will always be included in Porsche vehicles.
The electric Cayenne features a 14.25-inch curved OLED touchscreen at the center of the dashboard, which serves as a highlight and manages most vehicle functions, including air vent direction. Nevertheless, it retains physical controls for fan speed and cabin temperature, along with a volume roller knob. Assfalg confirmed that these elements will persist in future Porsche models.
“Our customers, particularly from China, consistently express a strong desire for these buttons to remain in the car,” Assfalg remarked.
The choice to maintain physical controls stems from customer preferences in a touchscreen-dominated market. “We provide physical buttons for functions where we want tangible feedback,” said Assfalg.
In addition to these controls, the steering wheel of the Cayenne Electric includes several physical buttons. The round steering wheel resembles other Porsche designs and features buttons and roller knobs that offer a satisfying click when pressed. These controls vary from volume and voice assistant activation to phone functions and menu navigation.
“We have buttons referred to as jokers,” explained Assfalg. The joker buttons are customizable function keys marked with a symbol. There is one joker button on both the steering wheel and the instrument cluster.
When questioned about the inevitability of physical buttons on the steering wheel, Assfalg replied, “always is a very strong word.”
The Porsche Taycan, the company's inaugural electric vehicle, lacks physical buttons or knobs for any central console functions. Cabin temperature, fan speed, and audio volume are all adjusted digitally through the touchscreen, although the steering wheel does feature physical buttons and rollers akin to those found in the Cayenne Electric.
Cayenne Electrics equipped with four-zone automatic climate control will have physical toggles for the temperature and fan speed in the back seat. Models without this feature include buttons for heated seats in the second row.
Additionally, there is one more crucial button: the power button, located to the left of the steering wheel. Assfalg confirmed that the discussion of whether a physical power button would be included was a definite “no.” The reason? Porsches will always include one.
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Porsche Recognizes It Overstepped by Eliminating Buttons and Knobs in the Taycan.
According to Porsche, customers have expressed that specific vehicle functions require physical controls.