General Motors is changing, and not just with a move to electric vehicles – the automaker’s designs and styling are changing as well, and in rather profound ways. Even the control schemes are evolving, all the way down to the vehicle light controls, with GM moving away from a dedicated lighting control panel, and towards controls on the digital infotainment screen. The question, then, becomes this – is that a good thing, or a bad thing?
GM’s gradual move towards an infotainment-based lighting control scheme has been ongoing for a while now, but it seems pretty clear where it’s headed. The controversial move away from a dedicated hard-button control panel started with the 2023 Chevy Colorado and 2023 GMC Canyon, followed by the 2024 Chevy Traverse and 2024 GMC Acadia. The 2025 Chevy Equinox, 2025 GMC Terrain, and 2025 Buick Enclave will all eventually follow suit. At this rate, it certainly appears as though GM will eventually eliminate the dedicated lighting control panel outright.
Of course, there are several reasons behind this move. For starters, most vehicle controls are moving over to the infotainment screen, not just lights. This seems to be an industry-wide phenomenon, and the result is more real estate in the cabin for other things beyond buttons and switches, not to mention a cleaner look overall. There are other benefits as well, such as a reduced dependency on foreign-sourced microchips, reducing the number of chips needed per vehicle and reducing the reliance on a supply chain that could have a hugely negative impact on production, as we saw with the recent microchip shortage.
That all said, there are drawbacks as well. Many critics simply prefer hard buttons and switches, arguing that placing the controls on an infotainment screen is dangerous and distracting.
So then, dear reader, we still want to know – is GM’s gradual move to light controls in the infotainment screen a good thing, or a bad thing? Which control layout do you prefer? Let us know by voting in the poll below, and don’t forget to subscribe to GM Authority for more GM business news, GM technology news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
This trend to move controls to a touch screen is making it so much easier NOT to buy a new vehicle so equipped. How did drivers manage to operate their vehicle prior to microchips? Oh, the horror of turning a key, pulling, pushing or turning a switch!!
Agreed. Not everything that is new is also better.
And HVAC controls on a screen are unsafe, bc most require you take your eyes off the road as there is no tactile feedback while changing the settings.
I have already had to replace the screen in my 2017 colorado once. What is going to happen when the screen goes out I these vehicles
Already had this in a 2013 Malibu. Radio died and HVAC information is displayed on the radio screen. Had to purchase a “box” to received those signals from the BCM to display on the Aftermarket screen. Wasn’t paying $1500 to replace with OEM.
Actually was an upgrade to Apple CP and AA along with the Maestro box to show BCM data.
It’s no issue the are automatic that you can select off on screen menu.
This is only a problem for the geriatric commenters on GMA. The vast majority of users will set their lights to automatic and forget about it. Moving these controls is not about making it better for the customer, it’s about cutting cost for switches/buttons that people don’t use anyway.
Regarding your last sentence, the real reason manufacturers want this is to milk you for a monthly subscription fee to use each feature after you already purchase the vehicle for full price. Granted, at this point they could do it even with physical buttons, too.
Do you actually think GM or any OEM is going to start charging for headlight use? What a stupid comment.
I said nothing about headlight use specifically. The article mentions “For starters, most vehicle controls are moving over to the infotainment screen, not just lights.” You can’t possibly be this dense.
You responded to my comment which was specifically about headlights, so again. Your comment makes no sense in response to my comment. In response to “For starters, most vehicle controls are moving over to the infotainment screen, not just lights.” I call BS. GM still has physical controls for most features that people interact with the most. The article makes a blanket statement with no specificity about which controls, other than lighting have moved over to infotainment.
The issue with auto headlights…people get lazy and depend on everything to be done automatically for them..try driving on a rainy or foggy day ( during the day) and look to see how many cars have there tail lights illuminated. NOT MANY cars are near invisible in front of you without lighting in the rear.( your car senses its daytime and lights are off)..reciepy for disaster and most dummies behind the wheel would never even think of this.
In New York state it is the law that you must turn your headlights on when you’re driving in the rain.
John Z it’s the same law I’m NJ to I think they should come out with rain sensing headlights! Better then this touchscreen BS!
Applying your irrational claims to the poll, roughly 90% of commenters are geriatric lol
If you bothered to read the other items posted on this site (today), you would have seen the EU is going to start lowering saftey ratings of vehicles that are moving everything to touch screens specifically because they divert driver attention. The cost of going away from switches will be higher and lead to higher repair costs.
Sorry buddy…… looks like your opinion is NOT in the vast majority. WE ALL CAN’T BE GERIATRIC ! Just using common sense, which isn’t too common these days…..
When we take our vehicles in for service, the shop usually turns off the lights. If you don’t realize what they’ve done until it’s dark, then you’re fumbling around with menus trying to get your lights turned back on. We’re almost trained to check our light switches every time we have service performed. In my experience, switches are easier to find than menu settings while driving.
They mess with every button in my truck. Now I tell them not to mess with my seat, outside mirrors or my stereo. When I take my Camaro and Corvette in for service, I pull them inside and I back them out.
Look if they were not automatic to start the screen would be a problem.
I have no touch the headlights for years as they come on and dim auto.
This is dumb. Even if the lights are automatic, there are occasions where a driver needs to manually override the automatic function. It’s a lot easier to turn a switch than it is to try to find a function buried in a menu when you’re driving. Also, if the screen goes out, the vehicle is basically non functional. Anything to save a buck the customer will never see while giving the customer less.
Not a bad move. A stupid move.
Don’t fix what’s not broken!!! tomg
On my 2016 Canyon, i’ve had the Auto set and haven’t touched it for years! Here’s an idea to satisfy Colorado/Canyon customers, allow one of the auxiliary switches to control on/off of the headlights? Most people won’t ever use these switches…
You do realize the lighting switch in your Canyon is spring loaded to auto? 😂
Claiming that you haven’t touched it in years tells us that you either never drive at night or you’re incompetent.
repete: Why do you say that? My last 5 or more cars have all had the auto headlight function. My current 2023 Bolt (that I’ve had for nearly 15 months now) is set to auto and I’ve never touched it once. Remember, GM has the system that turns the headlights on if the wipers are activated. So I don’t need to turn the lights on manually when it’s raining. At night, they come on automatically.
So why would I or anyone else have to manually turn them on? It certainly doesn’t make me or anyone else “incompetent”.
cim88sev86: his claim that he set it to Auto is dishonest because the switch in the 2016 Canyon/Colorado is spring loaded to Auto.
And if you NEVER touch the lighting controls for years despite numerous situations that would require a competent driver touching it, such as low visibility conditions or as a simple courtesy…well you do the math.
You are so wrong. I frequently use my hard buttons and knobs to temporarily turn off headlights to not disturb neighbors while parking. Open up your viewpoint.
Yeah, it’s great until your infoSystem crashes like mine has three times on my GMC Canyon Denali and had to be replaced your lights won’t work at all.
We need to go back to off switches enough with this push button techno crap. It’s just something else that will break in your car is tied up at the dealership for days waiting for Parts.
Don’t you mean tied up at the dealership for weeks or months?
Vehicles today are little more that a mobile computer system. We ride in them and seldom have a “driver experience” any more. Sad. Wish I had shifted the gears in my ’70 Chevelle SS 396, 4 speed attempting to get rubber in all 4 gears one more time before I stupidly sold it to buy a ’79 Corvette which I kept for 33 years.
Cars to day are robots no pleasure of driving
Wife’s 2018 Colorado screen went nuts and took control of the radio tuning. I tried every reset on the internet, no help. Chevy dealer says bad screen, “give us two months and $700.” Two months later “we have wrong screen, may be another two months.” We always buy new but we won’t participate in a Kubrick movie with Hal controlling the lights.
I currently own a 2022 Q5.( waiting for my 24 canyon) I have disabled as many driving aids as possible. The only one I like is adaptive cruise and sometimes that’s a pain, specially when Dick the head passes and cuts in 15 feet in front…you get used to it and compensate accordingly . But yes to much crap for lazy people, I prefer to have control of my auto
I also use the adaptive cruise, and being cut off is a pain, but also, when a car changes out of your lane, often times my truck will floorboard to catch up to the preset speed. This also is quite annoying.
I was at a Chevy dealer and they had a 1926 Chevy truck on the showroom floor. It had three gauges. I offered them $20K. They said it only goes 30mph and it needs grease every 50 miles. My response: “So what’s the problem?”
Dedicated light switches or panels are inherently safer. One need not take their eyes of the road to use a switch or know. Whereas one must Always look at the display screen to use it for anything. When I finally receive my on order colorado bison I will set the light settings to always on or auto on and leave it alone. The hi/low switch is still on the steering stalk.
How about the warranty I can just see a $500 module to replace it.
Was looking to buy a new Tahoe but it didn’t have a column shifter no shifter no need to buy.Definetly no light switches not going to buy just another thing to break down, never mind causing a accident because your eyes is not on the road.
For the love of God, leave the switches alone!
Doing this is as bad as the 2025 Enclave. Fire the designers of the new Enclave and fire the person/s who think we want a light switch within the stupid screens. Let them go work for Tesla.
Good idea but first ALL PEOPLE must learn how to use a touch screen device…you should see my 76 year old father try to text on a cell phone, my 4 year old son trying to use a tablet, or the fact that Tesla already does this no hard buttons thing and only computer nerds or can figure out how to use a giant tablet and drive at the same time can figure it out which most people can’t do heck they have a hard time adjusting the HVAC controls in them cars…this is just as dumb as GM not putting android auto and Apple car play in their NEW EV cars! No leave my headlights control where it is please.
NO NO NO NO NO! Is that plain enough? I hate those touch screens!
Same here.
Boomer59 for once I agree with you! 👍
I hope GM is reading these posts, we are your customers!
Carl even if GM is reading these posts Communist Dictator Marry Bara won’t listen… remember she thought EVe where the next big thing…NOT! We need a car guy as head CEO of GM not a tree hugging SUV only woman or man!
Physical buttons and switches going away for primary functions is absurd! Especially with the neverending issues with infotainment systems!
They should also go back to either column or console shift with their automatics! non of this push button crap!!!!
Very bad idea
Radio controls
Lights
Wipers
Heater and Air Conditioning
Use buttons not screens
News Flash they don’t want “some” of the physical buttons/knobs to be controlled by a push button center screen, they want “ALL” the buttons/knobs to be controlled by a push button center screen, that way they can save money on physical items by using the center screen for ALL functions. Last will be a push button preset speed in the screen instead of that pesky accelerator pedal. But don’t worry they will use voice commands to control all functions way before they get rid of the accelerator pedal and brake pedal.
Leave the hard switch alone. Do something with the fog lights that idiots don’t know how or when to use them. They have their high beams on and their fog lights on. They don’t care how blinding it is. Do something about the navigation updates. We ordered from GM an update in 2023 for my 2019 GMC Denali dually. It was a bad flash drive that we got. It wouldn’t completely load. It deleted my navigation completely. They have no idea when the 2024 update will be available. My husband is a Vietnam Veteran and he needs navigation when he wants to go out alone. We had to get him a Garmin.
Not sure what that’s all about. The fogs should turn off automatically when the high beams are activated….its the law to have this system built in with modern vehicles
make lights auto turn on car lights on dont need light switches plus keep gear shift on floor not on the wheel what next bench seats
Why can’t I just buy a truck without a giant 75 inch HDTV in the middle of the dash. All it’s gonna do is break. Then they’ll have to rip the dash out to replace it. I just want a regular normal truck. Go back to the 90s just make trucks they don’t have to rolling computers.This is silly. You guys are way too carried away.