Design Matters More Than Control Type
The study included four routine tasks: turning on the seat heater while increasing cabin temperature and activating the defroster, switching radio stations, resetting the trip computer, and dimming the instrument lighting while turning off the center display.
Voice control was excluded because its functionality varies too much between models.
Skoda’s combination of knobs and touchscreen posted the second-shortest distance at 542 meters (1,778 feet), with drivers completing the tasks in 18 seconds.
In the Toyota Corolla Cross, a well-placed screen was let down by an instrument-lighting adjustment buried deep in the trip computer, causing the car to roll 580 meters (1,903 feet) before the change was made.
Screen placement has improved overall, with the Volvo XC60 requiring a gaze drop of 35 degrees, compared to 56 degrees for 2022’s worst offender, the MG Marvel R.
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However, the study’s sample size of ten vehicles is limited, and factors like vehicle familiarity, cabin layout, and steering wheel controls can influence results.
