Skoda Brings Back Physical Controls With Smart Dials In New Superb Models

Car interiors just aren’t what they used to be, and not in a good way. In the name of cost-cutting and modern design, physical buttons are being kicked to the curb. Everything from climate controls to radio settings now lives inside a touchscreen, and let’s be honest: it’s not making driving any easier.

Skoda, however, never went completely touchscreen-crazy. However, even their latest models have far fewer buttons than before. The good news? They think they’ve found a smart middle ground with their latest Superb and Kodiaq models. The solution is something called “Smart Dials.”

Think of Smart Dials as clever little knobs with mini screens inside them. You can actually feel and use them without taking your eyes off the road. Skoda’s CEO summed it up perfectly in an interview with The Independent: “We need toggles. We need dials. We need something you can feel and something that doesn’t distract.”

Here’s how they work: the dials on either side let you control things like temperature, seat heating, or ventilation. Press the dial, and the function changes. The center dial is a multitasker. You can pick four options from a menu (like volume, fan speed, drive modes, or map zoom), and it’ll toggle between them.

Yes, there’s still a touchscreen up top, but at least you don’t have to rely on it for everything. These dials are meant to simplify things, not make them harder.

Skoda’s only using this setup on two models right now, but it’s likely coming to more. Their upcoming three-row electric SUV, previewed by the Vision 7S concept, is a good bet. And while the VW Group has had its fair share of software headaches, Skoda says they’ve mostly ironed those out with updates.

Looking ahead, their focus is on making tech intuitive. The CEO even shared that he always asks during development meetings, “How can we take out visual noise? What is there that people do not really need? It’s distracting; it has to be clear-cut.'"

Sure, the button-filled dashboards of the past may be gone. But if this is the future where you still get real, tactile controls wrapped in a bit of tech, it might not be so bad.