Mazda Changing Its Tune on Touchscreen ControlsCourtesy MazdaFor years, Mazda stood apart from much of the automotive industry by arguing that touchscreens were a distraction. The automaker instead championed rotary controllers, physical buttons, and carefully designed ergonomics, all with the ostensible goal of keeping drivers' eyes on the road. But now, with the arrival of the all-new 2026 CX-5, Mazda is making a very different argument: its biggest touchscreen yet could actually be safer than old-fashioned controls.CX-5 program manager Koichiro Yamaguchi defended the SUV's move to an almost entirely touch-based interface while speaking to Australia's Drive. According to Yamaguchi, relocating key climate functions to a large, high-mounted infotainment display reduces the time drivers spend looking away from the road compared to searching through rows of similar-looking physical buttons.Mazda"Air conditioning, you can operate with a finger, and if we have to put the physical button, that will be at the lower position," Yamaguchi said through a translator, according to Drive. He went on to argue that drivers must spend more time looking down to identify the correct switch when presented with a large bank of physical controls.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe comments represent a notable shift for a company that spent much of the last decade publicly defending traditional controls in lieu of increasingly common touchscreen arrays. The brand's preferred solution was a rotary knob and physical buttons located down below the gear shift that drivers could use without having to look at them, using muscle memory instead.Courtesy MazdaBased on Yamaguchi's comments, however, it seems Mazda believes the equation has changed. The new CX-5 replaces the previous model's display and rotary command knob with either a 12.9-inch or 15.6-inch touchscreen. To address usability concerns, climate control icons remain permanently fixed at the bottom of the display regardless of which menu is active.When asked directly whether the new system was safer than the outgoing setup, Yamaguchi said the latest interface should reduce the amount of time drivers spend with their eyes off the road. Keep in mind that this is all happening as some automakers revert back to physical controls after years of baking everything into an infotainment screen. Perhaps the way to see this is that Mazda either is right or was right, and only time will tell.You Might Also LikeIf You Can Only Own One Car, Make It One of TheseThese Are the Most Popular Cars by State