Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Lincoln
A new study from J.D. Power shows that most drivers believe the addition of passenger displays in new-generation cars is “unnecessary” because they find the additional technology difficult to use.
The automotive industry has reached a point where everything is replaced by an on-screen option, and while some automakers are trying to reintroduce buttons, others are going all in on touch input on larger displays.
In addition to the main dashboard display, automakers are now adding passenger displays, allowing other vehicle occupants to watch videos, play games, or surf the web.
The 2025 Lincoln Navigator features a 48-inch panoramic display that uses the entire dashboard for entertainment, offering easy access to music, podcasts, video apps and games through the Google Play Store.
But this increased focus on screens isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. The study shows that drivers “don’t see value in passenger screens,” and for good reason. Most drivers travel alone, so no one uses the front passenger seat.
It's the ugly truth that it contributes to congestion and pollution, but most of us travel with no one in the front passenger seat, so the study highlights the obvious result. If no one is sitting there to use the screen, why install a screen in the first place?
The study shows that only 10% of vehicles in circulation every day have a passenger in the front seat.
There is also a second gap that automakers have to deal with. Even if the driver is riding with a passenger in the front seat, they find it difficult to use the additional screen. Dealers also see the additional technology as another hassle, as they have to teach customers how to use the passenger screens, making the vehicle handover process more complex.
The bottom line is that no one, other than car manufacturers, seems interested in passenger screens, although, considering that the technology is still in its infancy, this could change in the coming years.
The study also shows that drivers aren’t big fans of AI technology in cars, and most drivers find it difficult to adjust to in-car gesture controls. More than 1 in 5 drivers feel that gesture controls “lack functionality.”
In the meantime, drivers still believe that a big screen on the dashboard is mandatory, especially as adoption of Android Auto and CarPlay continues to improve. Apple data shows that about 8 in 10 new-car buyers would consider switching makes and models if they couldn’t order CarPlay in a new car. Google says Android Auto is already available in more than 200 million vehicles on the road.
The two companies also announced updated experiences, with Android Automotive (an embedded operating system) already available in several models from GM, Honda, and Volvo. Apple will launch the next generation of CarPlay, which will still require a connection to an iPhone, this year.