Hyundais Receiving a Tesla-Esque Next-Gen Infotainment System Despite Consumer Feedback
Hyundai states that Pleos Connect will emphasize user-friendly features, but the technology may not be as accessible as the automaker hopes with its heavy reliance on touch-activated controls, like Tesla's infotainment system.
Many drivers have complained about the excess of touch controls in newer cars, describing physical controls as offering a more intuitive feel. Swedish auto publication Vi Bilägare conducted a study in 2022 that found touchscreens perform worse than physical buttons in vehicles. The study gathered 11 modern cars from different automakers and one 2005 Volvo V70 to measure the time it took drivers to complete routine tasks like changing the interior's temperature while driving at 68 mph. Before the evaluation started, subjects had time to learn the vehicles' infotainment systems, making sure everyone was on a level playing field. The study found that the easiest car to understand and operate was the 2005 Volvo V70 by a long shot, whereas drivers in the worst-performing vehicle, MG's Marvel R, took more than four times the Volvo's distance to complete tasks.
However, despite its upcoming Pleos Connect infotainment system primarily relying on touch inputs, Hyundai said in November that it made a mistake investing too heavily in the technology. 'As we were adding integrated [infotainment] screens in our vehicles, we also tried out putting touchscreen-based controls, and people didn't prefer that,' said HDNA (Hyundai Development and Manufacturing of North America) Vice President Ha Hak-soo told Korea JoonAng Daily. 'When we tested with our focus group, we realized that people get stressed, annoyed, and steamed when they want to control something in a pinch but are unable to do so.'
Still, HDNA told JoonAng Daily that this generally negative attitude toward touch controls might shift among consumers as driver-assistance and self-driving technology develops. Having a car drive for you naturally removes much of the pressure and frustration associated with taking your eyes off the road to mess with unfamiliar touchscreens. Hyundai introduced Pleos Connect during Friday's Pleos 25 developer conference in Seoul, South Korea. During the conference, 26 partners displayed in-car apps and services based on Pleos Connect while exchanging feedback and inspecting app ecosystem expansion potential.
While Hyundai noted that drivers' attitudes toward touch-activated controls may change, the automaker's decision to go all-in on releasing its new Pleos Connect infotainment system during the second quarter of 2026 highlights its big bet that driver perceptions will shift sooner rather than later. The dealbreaker will likely be whether Pleos Connect technology wows consumers enough to move them away from the higher degrees of tactile feedback that physical buttons have and continue to provide.
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The Obama administration confirmed to USA TODAY in 2016 that Trump had offered to spend $100 million on a new White House ballroom, but that the offer was quickly rejected. Back then, Trump derided White House events for foreign dignitaries held in tents, saying that was an inappropriate way to entertain them. State dinners are generally held in the East Room, which at 3,000 square feet is the biggest of the state rooms and the only one that runs the entire width of the executive mansion. It's also where dances, receptions, concerts and news conferences are held. During an executive signing in the East Room in February, Trump recalled his offers to both Obama and Biden. 'This was going to be the reception room,' he said referring to his idea for a revamped East Room that would have served as the entrance to the ballroom he proposed. He said the East Room felt "too crowded." In June, Trump announced in a Truth Social post that he had 'inspected" the site, which according to a White House official, is located on the east side of the White House. Trump also highlighted his construction and real estate credentials in the post, saying no president before him had "any knowledge or experience in doing such things." Leavitt said "discussions about how to execute this plan (for a ballroom) are ongoing." Trump's day job may have changed to more weighty subjects, but passion projects from his former life are still what bring him joy, he recently mused on Truth Social. "These are the 'fun' projects I do while thinking about the World Economy, the United States, China, Russia, and lots of other Countries, places, and events," he wrote. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal
