Android Auto and CarPlay continue to be a huge selling point for new cars, but for years now, many Mazda cars have lacked the touchscreen needed to really enjoy those infotainment experiences. With the 2024 Mazda CX-5, a touchscreen is on the way.
In many Mazda vehicles, the infotainment display has long been controlled by the “commander knob” that sits in the cabin near the gear shifter. The knob supports directional input as well as scrolling and a press to select content on screen. This works really well in Mazda’s native OS, but Android Auto and Apple’s CarPlay are more optimized for touchscreen input. Navigating through those phone-based platforms often can be a bit annoying with a knob compared to a touchscreen, and during its latest redesign, Android Auto even briefly broke knob input.
Starting with the 2024 Mazda CX-5, the infotainment screen is moving from only offering those knob rotary controls to also equipping a touchscreen.
Mazda is bringing a touchscreen to all trims of the latest CX-5 for the 10.25-inch infotainment display, and it will work with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Mazda explains in a press release (H/T: The Autopian):
The 10.25″ full-color center display features the latest Mazda Connect infotainment system that can be controlled with the multi-function commander knob and is integrated with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that now feature touchscreen functionality.
This won’t change anything for existing Mazda owners. There are quite a few past Mazda models with touchscreens, but it hasn’t been universal. It does stand to reason that more future Mazda vehicles could also adopt the new input method. That might take a little while, though. The 2024 CX-50m, which was announced in mid-July, does not get a touchscreen, still relying on the commander knob, and the 2024 Mazda3 also doesn’t yet have a touchscreen.
The 2024 Mazda CX-5 will arrive at dealerships later this Fall starting at $29,300.
More on Android Auto:
- Android Auto gets a Google Maps redesign with sidebar
- Android Auto 10.0 is rolling out, and there’s a slick new redesign for Google Assistant too
- Android Auto is adding new features for electric vehicles
Updated to reflect that some Mazda vehicles have supported touchscreens in the past.
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