Polestar is reversing its all-touchscreen interior strategy, and owners have a lot to do with it. CEO Michael Lohscheller confirmed to Autocar (CEO interview) that the brand's 60,000-member owner community has been sending a consistent message: people want tactile controls back. The 2027 Polestar 3 refresh will be the first model to swap its criticized touch-pad steering-wheel controls for proper physical buttons.
What's changing — and why now
Current Polestar 3 and Polestar 5 models use unmarked haptic touch pads on the steering wheel for functions drivers reach for constantly. Owners say the pads offer no feedback, require eyes-off-road operation, and cause confusion in motion. Lohscheller acknowledged the complaints directly, telling Autocar that customers want more tactile control — and Polestar is responding across its lineup.
The 2027 Polestar 3 leads the rollout. Physical steering-wheel buttons come first; broader changes to the center stack are expected to follow in subsequent models. Polestar 2, the upcoming Polestar 7, and the Polestar 4 wagon are all expected to adopt the same approach, per Motor1.
Safety rules are accelerating the shift
Customer frustration alone didn't trigger the reversal — regulation did too. Euro NCAP, Europe's influential vehicle safety rating body, updated its 2026 protocols to require physical controls for five specific functions: turn signals, windshield wipers, hazard lights, the horn, and emergency SOS. Vehicles without dedicated physical controls for those functions can no longer earn a five-star rating.
That rule affects every automaker selling in Europe, including Polestar. Although NHTSA has no equivalent US mandate, the Euro NCAP requirement is pushing a global redesign cycle — and US buyers will see the same updated hardware.
The broader industry pattern
Polestar isn't alone in walking back the touchscreen-everything trend. The shift toward large single screens was partly aesthetic, partly cost-driven: one display often costs less to manufacture than dozens of individual buttons and stalks. But real-world driver feedback has consistently shown that burying basic functions inside menus creates distraction.
Polestar's move reflects a growing industry-wide acknowledgment that touch-only interiors carry a usability cost. The Polestar 3 currently starts at $73,400 before taxes, and no pricing changes related to the interior update have been announced. Buyers considering the current model should expect the refreshed version — with physical steering-wheel controls — to arrive for the 2027 model year.