Next-Gen Toyota RAV4s Could Bring Back Physical Switches & Buttons

The 2026 RAV4 took a number of physical controls from the central dash and moved them to the touchscreen. Yoshinori Futonagane, chief engineer for RAV4 at Toyota, recently explained to Drive the thought process behind the changes: "What's the minimum we can get away with [using] physical switches? Because we were trying to push more onto the screen." However, Chinese drivers have reportedly resisted the change, sending a message to Toyota that physical buttons are highly preferred. Futonagane explained further that Toyota essentially had to make some concessions, opting to remove select controls from the media display and put them back into tactile button form for other models in China.

The automotive industry has been steadily moving away from tactile controls and placing things like fan speed behind touchscreen menus. Some believe the trend began with Tesla in 2012 and its all-encompassing center dashboard display. For car manufacturers, the move makes sense, as it costs them less to add the controls via software rather than fabricate individual buttons. Benedetto Vigna, Ferrari CEO, told Autocar India in 2026, "Making a touch button is cheaper — 50% cheaper."

However, it's becoming increasingly clear to certain automakers that this change isn't necessarily popular with drivers. In fact, some major automakers are ditching touchscreen dashboards and going back to basics. Toyota has found itself at a crossroads, where it may need to pivot with regard to physical buttons for the RAV4 in other regions like the U.S. for its next iteration.

Drivers in the U.S. could see Toyota add back physical controls on a refreshed RAV4 for key systems. However, the response from the automaker is contingent on driver feedback. Basically, according to Yoshinori Futonagane, the move is being openly discussed at Toyota, with the car maker ready to reinstate buttons if deemed necessary. For those passionate about physical controls making a comeback in the RAV4, it's a good time to voice their opinion on the subject with Toyota.

A JD Power study in 2026 found that multimedia was the only major vehicle category to get worse in 2026, and infotainment now accounts for around one quarter of all problems new owners report. British outlet What Car? conducted a survey on the subject and found that only 7% of respondents wanted more touchscreen controls, while 85% wanted traditional tactile options.

Many have been asking in recent years whether more screens and fewer buttons in cars are really that safe to begin with. Euro NCAP, responsible for issuing safety ratings, began docking points in 2026 from vehicles that leave basic controls to the touchscreen, making its 5-star rating harder to earn. Chinese authorities have also started to push back against automakers, as work on regulations requiring some physical buttons is underway, potentially going into effect in 2027. Perhaps the EU and U.S. will end up following suit in the future.