Mercedes: Oops, Our Bad—We're Bringing Buttons Back

Mercedes-Benz is reverting to using more buttons and rocker controls in its interiors by popular demand, even while launching its software-savviest vehicles to date and forecasting the end of app use as we know it. The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA and the 2027 Mercedes-Benz GLC are the automaker’s first truly software-defined vehicles, meaning virtually everything about the car can be updated over the air. These new vehicles also feature the fourth-generation MBUX infotainment system and its attendant touchscreens.

But data shows many customers don’t like haptic steering wheel controls and touchscreens for basic functions like audio volume. The next-generation GLC will launch late next year with a new steering wheel that brings back rollers. And while the CLA sedan is already on sale in Europe with haptic controls, there is a wagon version launching with the same controls as the GLC. Later this year, Mercedes will bring that same steering wheel to the 2027 sedan, chief software officer Magnus Östberg says; it's a simple swap. The latest CLA goes on sale in the U.S. at the end of the year, albeit with the old wheel, as it will be a 2026 model.

Why the Sudden Change?

How did Mercedes get it wrong and have to reverse course so quickly? Sure, the GLC is bigger than the CLA, so there is more room to package hard buttons, and it attracts an older buyer that prefers them. But it was more than that. “It is one of those things, you get ahead of yourself, and you do really cool things,” Ola Källenius, chairman and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Group, says. “You test it and it works beautifully. But sometimes you have to take two steps backwards to take one step forward.” Customers said they wanted the roller back even though the haptic controls function properly.

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Customers Have Spoken

Data showed the need to bring back more physical controls, Östberg says. But touch controls remain important, especially for the Chinese market, and it is hard to predict where trends will go in other countries in the future and how people will want to interact. From global market research, Mercedes says it found it's important to feature a harmonious blend of hard controls, head-up displays, big screens, and speech recognition, Mathias Geisen, board member for marketing and sales, says. Research shows the company should avoid being innovative for the sake of being innovative, according to executives.

Going forward, expect all models to have steering wheels with hard controls that are intuitive and easier to operate alongside some haptic controls, chief technology officer Markus Schäfer says. There will still be touchscreens—and customers who prefer them—so Mercedes will offer a balance of physical and digital.

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Voice Commands Are the Future

The real paradigm shift will be to a reliance on voice command, Östberg says. The use of voice commands has tripled, and he foresees a large-scale shift as AI revolutionizes how we react to tech and changes how people interact with apps. Voice agents or assistants can provide a better overall customer experience, Schäfer says. You won’t have to choose between Microsoft or Google or touch a screen or click a button. Just tell the voice assistant what you want, and AI will pick the best system and necessary app to execute. It all happens in the background. Mercedes currently offers voice command functionality in approximately three dozen languages, and it builds those starting from one base system before tapping local experts as partners to refine the software. Even still, AI language models can understand much better.

AI Tsunami Coming

“I believe we are just in the front of the tsunami when it comes to AI,” Östberg says. “This is going to completely change how we interact with any machine. It’s going to be mind-blowing, and I believe it’s perfect for the automobile because you actually can speak to your car in a sensible way. [Occupants] are in a perfect location, in a quiet space. You can actually have a conversation. It’s not like you are in a public space.”

Screens in cars will augment the transition. The car can describe something but also show it on the screen. It means the user interface will change, Östberg says. “It’s not going to be static anymore. It’s going to be very dynamic. We are in the perfect position to capitalize on that.”