Buick's 1986 Riviera was the first car to feature a touchscreen in the dashboard

In 2024 , the average size of a vehicle dashboard display was 9.6 inches , according to S&P Global Mobility.

The German luxury brands were among the last to get on board but have since warmly embraced the super-sized digital dashboard and are now among the leaders in the space.

Mercedes-Benz in particular hasupped the stakes in the present day with the introduction of its Hyperscreen setup.

Bigger screens allow for less cluttered interfaces and more prominent touch icons.

Curved dashboard designs freed vehicle designers from the conventional segmented cockpit layout with more compartmentalized instrument clusters and center stack displays.

But the increase in the size and number of screens also led to a decrease in physical controls—and more distraction.

S&P Global Mobility found that in 2024 about 14.5 million cars globally had HUDs, and by 2030 it predicts the figure will grow to 21.3 million .

More automakers are adding dedicated passenger-side screens that work while the car is in motion but can’t be viewed by the driver thanks to a polarized coating.

Most allow front passengers to select music sources, operate a navigation system, and watch video.