Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.Have Brands Gone Too Far?The steering wheel isn't broken, right? So why are auto makers trying to fix it? While you can excuse the exercises in excess from brands like Bugatti, there are several automakers trying to reinvent the wheel, which leaves me with more questions than answers and a newly coined word to describe the modern steering wheel shape.I've reviewed my fair share of cars as an automotive journalist, and the first thing I judge is the steering wheel before my first drive. It's the focal point of the interior, and an indicator of what kind of driving I can expect. I believe that modern steering wheels have peaked in terms of design, ergonomics, and materials, but now that we're entering a sort of post-modern era with brands experimenting and looking for the next big thing, steering wheels are getting kind of weird, but at least not too weird.LamborghiniWhat's a Squircle?Some wheels are a little more daring than others. I will say that D-shaped or flat-bottom steering wheels are staples in the auto industry, partly because they have roots in motorsports and give the impression that the car is fast, and partly because they also help with ingress and egress in a tight cabin. Practically speaking, not only does it improve the quality of life for sports cars, but a flat bottom can also serve as a reference for how much the wheel has turned.AdvertisementAdvertisementWhat brands shouldn't do is make their wheels square. I had a weird experience one time driving around a Chinese luxury crossover, the Hongqi EHS7. It was an experience, to say the least, and frankly, I don't see that design taking off. However, there is one shape that's been popping up lately: the "squircle."Polygonal, Double-D/Squirqle-shaped wheels are a hit or miss. In this realm, execution is key, and manufacturers need to lock in the design of these shapes to ensure their ergonomic value to the user. I've encountered several wheels at this point: some polygonal shapes I kinda dig, others I'm on the fence about, and some I'm just not a fan of. This shape helps with ingress and egress thanks to the flat bottom, but the flat top is more for the gauge cluster and forward visibility. Cars like the Lincoln Navigator do the squircle well. One of the first-ever brands to put a squircle in the hands of drivers is Peugeot, which does so ergonomically well.That being said, Dear automakers, please don't make yoke steering wheels again. We'll take your squircles any day of the week.The squircle wheel of the Lincoln Navigator. LincolnDifferent Spokes For Different FolksWhat is more interesting than the shape of the wheels is what's in them. Back then, all you had were spokes, maybe two, three, or four, a horn pad or button in the center, and maybe an airbag behind it all. Now, it's a whole cluster of gadgets and gizmos that might even confuse racecar drivers.AdvertisementAdvertisementSteering wheel spokes are more than just a structural element now, and as the years pass, it seems like they keep growing fatter and fatter for more and more buttons. On that front, I would like to thank a bunch of automakers for ditching touch-based buttons, such as Volkswagen and Ferrari, to name a few. There's nothing more annoying than a set of buttons and controls that's hard to understand, but it's probably not as annoying as having to touch a screen for everything. Some brands are simplifying the layouts and giving us fewer buttons, which is good until they start taking away too many things, like a Rivian at some point.Two-spoke designs are coming back in a big way. Back then, it was usually three or four, but now we're coming back around to two, or some whacky gimmick with the center of the wheel staying put. Personally, I prefer the whole wheel to move. The added complexity is unnecessary, and sometimes outright polarizing when the design tries too hard.Dear automakers, just make a wheel with standard spokes and easy-to-use controls. Keep the buttons tactile, use high-quality materials, and ensure the layout makes sense.BMW's i3 steering wheel is a very complex squircle. Flat up top for the driving information display, and with spokes in weird places.But... Why?You might say that EVs played a big part in the evolution of the steering wheel, but that's not the case. In truth, it's more about the interior and how the industry "requires" cars to have big, bright screens to look modern and futuristic. According to an interview with Kelly Blue Book, "this has nothing to do with EVs," stated Zeb Coughenour, senior manager of interior design for Lucid.AdvertisementAdvertisementSteering wheels are also becoming more complex as manufacturers move to install larger screens, drive modes, advanced safety features, and more, all while removing physical buttons. It's unlikely that we'll be seeing another yoke soon, but it appears that the Squirqle is here to stay.Please never make this again, Lexus.Squircles Are in?In fairness to the squircle, while it may be weird at first, operating it is just like any other wheel. I'll have to give credit to electric power steering for that, but at the cost of steering feel and maybe even an actual steering column.Closing out this little feature, I think the steering wheel is good enough as is. We don't need another yoke fiasco, and there certainly has to be a limit as to how much screen there needs to be in a modern car. As ugly as it is on the exterior, I'm actually a fan of the Ferrari Luce's steering wheel. It's a nice, clean homage to steering wheels of the past, without looking too fat, cluttered, or overly complex. If only the rest of the car could follow the same idea, but I digress.Anyway, I hope that at least some automakers will start thinking of a steering wheel design that looks less like a game controller and more like an actual wheel.YES! Ferrari/YouTubeThis story was originally published by Autoblog on Jul 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the Features section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.