Toyota Rethinks Touchscreen Overload After RAV4 Pushback - Even in China

Toyota’s redesigned RAV4 strips away physical buttons to a bare minimum, but the automaker is now admitting it may have gone too far. Chief engineer Yoshinori Futonagane told Australia’s Drive that the company deliberately pushed as many controls as possible onto the central touchscreen, keeping only a volume knob, temperature buttons, drive mode shortcuts, and a few other essentials.

Functions like fan speed, air distribution, and seat heating now live entirely in the digital interface, a move Toyota is already second-guessing.

Futonagane said Toyota is closely monitoring owner feedback and is open to bringing back physical controls if customers push back. “If necessary, yes, we will,” he said when asked about future updates. The most surprising signal comes from China, where buyers, often seen as champions of giant screens, are reportedly asking for more knobs and switches.

“They didn’t want it,” Futonagane said of Chinese drivers’ reactions to screen-heavy Toyotas. ” He added that Toyota has already begun reversing course on other models.

The RAV4 still keeps drive mode controls as physical buttons, because Toyota wants drivers to engage with the SUV’s settings. But even that choice comes with doubt: Futonagane later wondered whether customers actually use those modes much at all. The industry remains split on screens versus buttons, with some automakers doubling down and others, like Volkswagen, quietly returning to physical controls.

Toyota’s willingness to listen and adapt suggests the final answer is far from settled. What’s your take?