"If they want big screens, let them buy something else." Alfa Romeo’s designer will opt for more classic interiors.

Alfa Romeo will abandon large screens. Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, the Italian brand’s design chief, confirmed in a recent interview that large panels overly dictate the interior aesthetics of new models without fully meeting the driver’s needs.

"Let’s get rid of the screens. Screens are fine when you’re sitting in the car, but they don’t convince me when you’re driving. We’re in a sort of war over centimeters with screens, and it makes no sense to me because they become enormous. I think in a few years, these screens will become obsolete, outdated, and start costing money," Mesonero-Romanos said in a recent interview with Autocar.

"What you put on a screen, you don’t put anywhere else, and I prefer to put it elsewhere." The recent Cuorerosso prototype reinterprets the brand’s classic ‘cannocchiale’ instrumentation. This display consists of a single sphere that can be divided into two. One of these spheres can show the navigation system, while the other is used to display instrumentation data.

"I want an infotainment screen, but I don’t want it on all the time, so I want to hide it. I’m aware that many customers want large screens, but then let them buy something other than an Alfa. I’m sure there are many people who think like us. There are plenty of people who will be satisfied with this experience."

Alfa Romeo to Focus on Physical Controls

The concept car features a central console with physical buttons, dials, and switches for adjusting the climate control system and other functions. It also includes a small projector that displays secondary functions such as the song currently playing through the sound system. These secondary functions can be controlled using haptic touch controls.

"The entire system is a screen, but it’s not a [conventional] screen. It’s a platform for physical controls with a part that functions like a proper screen, similar to one on a phone. There’s a film over it that isn’t intrusive: you can see through it, and it hides when not needed. It can be turned off. My dream is to drive at night using only the ‘cannocchiale’ [instrumentation], all lit up in red, and nothing else."

It is unclear when this new concept of interior design will make its debut in a production model, but we may see it in the brand’s upcoming releases: an SUV intended to replace the Tonale, and a compact car that will succeed the Giulietta. Both will be built on Stellantis Group’s STLA One platform and will come in fully electric versions.

Source | Autocar