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Touchscreens for all VW models next year
By Yoann Besnard on 13 November 2007 | 
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In an interview given to Automotive News Europe, Walter de' Silva announced that all VW cars will feature a touchscreen next year, either as standard or as an option.
He explained that “Touchscreens are the most intuitive interface between humans and machine”. He also said: “We want to build naturalness, not only in the design, but also in functionality all future Volkswagen models.”
The German car manufacturer has unveiled a preview of the Touchscreen interface in two concept cars: the Up! concept car at the last Frankfurt Motor Show and the Up! Space concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show.
With more and more comfort features, the touch screen is a big benefit for customers. In 2001, BMW launched the iDrive to make drivers' and passengers' lives easier. Unfortunately, the initial good intention became a textbook case of bad interface design. Audi launched the MMI soon after. Despite significant progress, the MMI commands still present a steep learning curve. With the success of iPhone and iPod Touch, the public seems to be ready for a touchscreen experience. Volkswagen clearly makes a clever move.
Oddly, Audi will not adopt the new technology and will stick to its current MMI technology. Nevertheless, the A1 concept car unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show featured an updated screen interface with an Apple's Cover Flow experience.
