The new Volkswagen vehicles have been the subject of criticism from customers and journalists. Not because they’re not great to drive or anything, but because of the off-kilter and sometimes illogical placements of features and functions in the infotainment system.
In the VW Golf Mk8 alone, the automaker has issued several recalls to fix the problem, even postponing deliveries in Europe. The problem lies with the MIB3 system found in most of the brand’s new cars, including ID models, and VW CEO Thomas Schäfer has admitted mistakes were made during the design process.
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Talk to car magazine at the 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show, Schäfer said they knew what they had to do when it came to software fixes. The new CEO, who took office this year, added that software version 3.0 will be rolled out as early as winter 2022 via over-the-air updates. He also said car magazine that the new systems would be “much faster, with more features”.
Hardware fixes, including unlit capacitive sliders for volume or heating, will roll out next year through 2024. They will, of course, be lit when replaced.
Steering wheels with touch functions will also be phased out, starting with the upcoming new VW Tiguan, which is expected to debut next year.
Along with impending software and hardware updates, Schäfer also detailed car magazine how VW is working on improving its user interface design. The process includes regular clinics, which have seen the participation of “random people”. He rejected the use of their own employees for this because “they are biased”. He hopes these clinics will become a regular exercise for their business.
Schäfer promises that future Volkswagens will benefit from this strategy and that uniform features will be used across the range.
