A Hyundai Ioniq 5 prototype shows a button-less cockpit despite earlier promises
- Vike
The only explanation I can think of is that Hyundai's tired of having such popular BEVs and would like to launch a dud just for variety. Regardless of Musk's various offensive behaviors, I still think Model 3/Y are pretty impressive cars (especially post-refresh), but they've been off my list ever since I rented a M3 for a week and learned how much I hated the "everything in menus on the screen" experience. I'm part of the consensus that finds that approach inconvenient and unsafe. The tactile control array featured in my Kona Electric (which in that regard is very similar to the current Ioniq 5) is a major competitive advantage for Hyundai. I find it hard to believe they've decided to squander it.
Polished as this cabin looks, I'll hold out hope this is just a test mule, experimental proof of concept for usability testing, or heck, these days, even some AI-generated BS. Otherwise this particular "zig" while the rest of the industry "zags" is going to be a major blunder.
- 02 Mar 2026
- GcR