ILLYA VERPRAET
Testing, testing
Mini no longer fits key ignition but does give you a good imitation
We at Autocar talk a lot about buttons and other physical controls in cars and how having at least a few well-chosen ones for essential functions is important. The good news is that it does seem manufacturers are slowly getting it. Volkswagen, one of the pioneers of touch-sensitive nonsense, recently let me have a poke around an early prototype of its ID Cross EV, which featured a compact array of physical buttons in the centre console and on the steering wheel. Hurrah!
A button that’s less discussed is the one to turn the car on and off, which is strange because it’s the one that is actually contentious.