Alfa Romeo CEO wants to pump brakes on dashboard screens, distracting tech

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As we race toward stuffing more and more technology into our cars, Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato wants to pump the brakes.

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“I don’t sell an iPad with a car around it, I sell an Alfa Romeo,” he recently told auto outlet Caradisiac , and added that he wants upcoming Alfa offerings to have “as few screens as possible.”

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The large-screen trend is most noticeable in modern Volvos, Subaru’s new Outback, Toyota’s Prius Prime, Ford’s Mach-E (with its vertical screen) and of course, in Mercedes-Benzes, with their dual horizontal screens. Current Alfa models do have digital infotainment screens, but not nearly as large and pronounced as their competitors.

There’s still a strong market for hard-touch buttons and dials, specifically a volume knob. Let’s take a moment to remember how consumer feedback made Honda reverse its decision to eliminate said knob in the previous-generation Civic. The Prius Prime might be next.

Yes, relying solely on a screen for a majority, if not all of your inputs, can come with a steep learning curve. Imparato wants to have Alfa interiors be more driver-focused, which means less screen real estate. With the transition to going electric-only by 2027, Alfa wants to keep the audible excitement alive, but will have to do so without a traditional combustion engine.

The 2022 Tonale will be a PHEV, and while it won’t sound as loud, Alfa is banking on maintaining its driving dynamics to engage with drivers.