Maserati exec defends the use of a car feature drivers hate

Hate them or love them, the executive says they're needed in today's tech-packed cars.

Apr 30, 2024 - 02:30

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Maserati exec defends the use of a car feature drivers hate

Whether you like them or not, the touch screen is now a staple of modern car interior design.

In its central place on cars' dashboards, the screens do serve a purpose beyond being a beacon of light that shines when driving at night; they provide access to key settings like the radio, climate control, as well as other features in today's complex and technology-packed vehicles.

Maserati Global Head of Design Klaus Busse speaks onstage during an event in Los Angeles.
Donato Sardella/Getty Images

In a recent interview with TheDrive, Maserati's global head of design Klaus Busse defended the use of the touchscreen, noting that car dashboards would look very intimidating without them.

"We use screens because there are so many features in a car that if I were to put a button for everything, the cabin would look like an old 747," Busse told The Drive. "The idea is to organize things in a screen that only presents to the driver what they need at that moment."

The design head, who was responsible for other Stellantis (STLA) vehicles such as the Fiat 500e and the Alfa Romeo Tonale admitted that he is not a 'big fan' of screens, but says that they provide a solution in luxury cars such as Maseratis. He says that there is a formula to making screens livable, one that involves design and studying the instincts of its drivers so that using the screen seems seamless.

"But where do we put the screen? Maserati puts it in a position that if you have your hands on the steering wheel, you can let your hand fall on the screen," Busse said. "I don’t want the driver to move their shoulder out of the seat to reach for the screen and lose the perfect driving position.

"It’s not up here [atop the dash] where it is in most other cars because I don’t want the screen to visually distract the driver. As a species, we react to movement. The last thing I want [as a designer] is movement in your peripheral view to distract you from what you’re supposed to enjoy, which is the Maserati driving experience. From a distraction point of view and ease point of view, that’s why we move screens down low."

The interior of the 2025 Maserati GranCabrio Folgore, which features a prominent screen.
Maserati

In Maserati's latest GranCabrio Folgore electric convertible, the Busse philosophy is seen at work, as the large 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen rests a few inches from the edge of the steering wheel; enabling settings to be changed with the swift movement of the hand.

However, some people on the internet who are and aren't car experts have varying opinions on this topic.

YouTube automotive authority Doug DeMuro argued in a recent video titled "Buttons Are Never Coming Back, and Touchscreens Are Here to Stay" that modern cars, especially luxury cars need screens due to the immense amount of features and settings that can be controlled with them. However, he reasons that "some screen usage in cars has gone a little far" and that "basic controls" should be easy to use.

"I don't really think basic controls should be in screens. I think it's infuriating to get into a car and not be able to find simple stuff because it's in a menu; like heated seats, or changing the climate fan speed," DeMuro said. "Even I, who am pretty 'pro-screen,' is annoyed by that."

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In YouTube comedian and commentator Drew Gooden's latest video, "Cars are getting dumber," that touchscreens are his "biggest personal gripe" in modern cars, noting that while it gives the illusion of cars being more luxurious and technologically advanced, basic tasks are harder to do.

"Some of the extra hoops I've seen people have to jump through to accomplish basic tasks now are mind boggling. You know how sometimes you have the AC on, but it ends up blasting right into your hand, so you have to reach over and change the direction of the vent?," Gooden asked.

"Well that's f---ing dumb, okay," Gooden sarcastically answered. "That's how a caveman would do it. It makes way more sense to go over to the car tablet, find the AC control button, select the air vent you want to change and then drag where you want it to go, all while barreling through a school zone."

In the same interview, Klaus Busse was asked about if his ultimate interior would have screens. He said yes and argued that "doing something else means taking away features from the customer."

"A Maserati is not just a sports car, not just a comfortable long-distance cruiser — it’s both worlds, so I need to be able to address all the features that play into these two experiences," said Busse. There’s only one way to do it, and that’s screens. This is why I wear my smartwatch and not just my analog watch."

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