Mazda CX-5 Ditches Knob for Big Screen, Touts New System as Safer and Easier to Use

Mazda has completely abandoned the center-console rotary knob—used for over a decade—on the 2026 CX-5, replacing it with a large touchscreen featuring the "Google Built-In" system. Despite the shift in control methods, Mazda emphasized that its core philosophy of "minimizing driver distraction" remains unchanged. The new system includes steering wheel shortcut buttons, voice control, and a dedicated climate control touch zone fixed at the bottom of the screen, ensuring drivers keep their eyes on the road. Project lead Matthew Valbuena stated that the touchscreen interface aligns more closely with users' smartphone habits, reducing the learning curve, and supports over 350 in-car applications—offering far greater flexibility than the previous system. He likened the transition to moving from an iPod Classic to an iPod Touch, highlighting the new platform’s future-ready upgrade capabilities. The system will debut on the CX-5, Mazda’s best-selling model, though it remains unconfirmed whether it will be rolled out to other models in the future.