Euro NCAP: physical buttons for basic functions are coming back — in tests under the 2026 protocols the Audi Q7 scored 100% for its driving controls, while the XPENG X9, which relies heavily on the touchscreen for them, scored 20%
On 12 October 2026 Euro NCAP published the results of its latest tests under the protocols in force since 2026. In the Safe Driving assessment the key driving controls — indicators, windscreen wipers and washer, hazard warning lights, horn and the eCall emergency button — should be operated by a direct physical input rather than hidden within a touchscreen menu.
- The Audi Q7 scored 90% overall for its driving controls: 100% for the essential driving tasks and 80% for comfort and infotainment; the smaller Kia EV2 also achieved excellent scores in this area. The XPENG X9 relies too heavily on its central touchscreen and scored only 20% for its primary driving controls. All three cars received five stars.
- Among the cars tested in 2026, Euro NCAP sees a clear difference between European and Chinese manufacturers (with the exception of the GEELY E2): the BMW iX3 scores 100% for driving controls, the CUPRA Raval and GEELY E2 80% each, the ZEEKR 7GT and AION UT only 20%, and the Leapmotor B05 0%. The organisation cites research showing that controls embedded in touchscreen menus have a higher distraction potential than physical buttons.
- The Safe Driving assessment also covers speed assistance, checked on a real-world test drive of around 2,000 km on European roads. The XPENG X9 system failed to meet the effectiveness benchmarks: it struggled with conditional speed limits (such as wet-weather or HGV-specific limits) and did not meet the requirement to display the last known speed limit with a clear indication when it encountered a sign it could not interpret. The Audi Q7 system, on a drive through Germany, Austria, Hungary and Slovenia, correctly identified the limit in 87% of cases, representing 95% of the distance covered.
- The Kia EV2 and Audi Q7 adapt the warnings and interventions of assistance systems (such as lane keeping) to the driver’s attention; under the protocol, systems must show a meaningful, calibrated difference in response between an attentive and a distracted driver. In the same release the BYD SHARK received five stars based on Australasian NCAP 2025 testing supplemented by Euro NCAP’s own tests (with a penalty after a side curtain airbag failed to deploy correctly), and the MAZDA 2 Hybrid four stars carried over from its Toyota Yaris sister model.
Source: Euro NCAP — Buttons are back for basic functions Euro NCAP confirms in testing (12.10.2026)