Ferrari is backtracking on one of its most controversial choices of recent years: the omnipresence of touch controls on the steering wheel. The prancing horse brand now offers its customers a concrete, backward-compatible solution: replace touch-sensitive controls with real physical buttons.
Back to common sense
It's a small revolution, or rather a counter-revolution. Since the arrival of models such as the SF90 Stradale, the 296 GTB and the 12Cilindri, Ferrari had relied on an ultra-modern interface: haptic controls on the steering wheel, supposed to improve ergonomics and speed of execution. But in reality, many drivers complained of a frustrating experience, where a simple touch activated unwanted functions such as cruise control or menu navigation. Ferrari had even tried to limit the damage by deactivating these touch surfaces after ten seconds of inactivity.
A new option available for many models
On the occasion of presentation of the Ferrari AmalfiFerrari has made official its return to physical buttons on the steering wheel. But the good news is that this improvement isn't just for first-time buyers. Gianmaria Fulgenzi, head of product development, has confirmed that owners of several recent models (296 GTB, Purosangue, SF90, 12Cilindri) will be able to have this new "old school" steering wheel installed in their vehicles.
"Yes, you can have it," he told TopGear. Even better: there's no need to change the entire steering wheel, just the central hub. The operation can be carried out at any Ferrari dealership, without returning the vehicle to Maranello. A simple test drive is all that's required to validate the upgrade.
A customer-driven return
Enrico Galliera, Ferrari's marketing director, admitted that the brand had been too ambitious with its touchscreen interface. The initial objective, particularly for the SF90, was to create a driving experience as powerful as the on-board electronics. But Ferrari's desire to optimize everything led it to neglect a fundamental element: intuition.
"Our philosophy is: hands on the wheel, eyes on the road. But we found that the eyes stayed on the wheel too long," he conceded. So Ferrari listened to its customers, and decided to go back to basics.
Design chief Flavio Manzoni supported this evolution. A great believer in minimalism, he reminded us that beauty lies in simplicity. And it seems that Ferrari has finally found the right balance between modernity and user-friendliness.
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Touch controls work when you want them to, and they're a pain. On the Golf 8.5, they've gone back to using physical buttons instead of touch controls on the steering wheel.