Toyota says the new RAV4 retains the fewest physical buttons possible inside, but customer feedback could bring climate and comfort controls back later.
Even Chinese buyers are reportedly asking for more physical switches.
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Automakers have spent the last 15 years replacing buttons with touchscreens, often insisting it's what customers want.
Toyota just admitted the new RAV4 may have pushed that idea as far as it could, and it isn't ruling out a partial retreat if owners aren't happy.
The redesigned RAV4 still features a handful of physical controls, including a volume knob, air temperature buttons, drive mode shortcuts, and a few other frequently used functions.
But several controls that previously had dedicated switches now live inside the central touchscreen, including fan speed, air distribution, and seat heating settings.
Listening to Feedback
Toyota originally planned to go even further, RAV4 chief engineer Yoshinori Futonagane told Australia's Drive.
“I see there's so much stuff going on the screens at the moment,” Futonagane said. “What's the minimum we can get away with using physical switches?
Because we were trying to push more onto the screen.”
But Toyota doesn't appear entirely convinced it got the balance right.
Futonagane revealed the company is closely tracking owner feedback and evaluating whether some controls should return to physical buttons in future updates.
“If necessary, yes, we will,” he said when asked whether Toyota would consider bringing back more switches.
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