Mazda Finally Goes All-In on Touchscreens With the 2026 CX-5

For over a decade, Mazda was the last mainstream automaker holding on to a rotary dial controller while the rest of the industry raced toward touchscreens. Those days are officially over. The redesigned 2026 Mazda CX-5 drops the console-mounted commander knob in favor of a full touchscreen infotainment system, and Mazda says the switch actually makes driving safer.

• Mazda has replaced its rotary knob with a larger touchscreen in the new-generation 2026 CX-5, while insisting its design philosophy remains unchanged.
• The standard infotainment system includes a 12.9-inch touchscreen, eight speakers, two USB ports, built-in Google apps, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
• Mazda redesigned the CX-5’s steering wheel with physical buttons where drivers can control most functions while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.

Why Mazda Held Out So Long

For the past several years, Mazda remained the sole mainstream holdout in the broader industry push toward touch-based infotainment systems, relying instead on a console-mounted dial. Debuting on the 2014 Mazda3, Mazda Connect made it so drivers wouldn’t have to lunge over to reach the infotainment screen with their fingertips, and the technology aimed to help drivers maintain proper posture and concentrate on the road.

The logic was sound, and plenty of Mazda owners genuinely liked the dial. You could rest your arm on the center console, twist the knob, and select what you needed without reaching up toward the dashboard. The brand’s argument was simple and confident: touch-based infotainment is distracting and unsafe, and scroll wheels, physical buttons, and tactile controls were the smarter, more driver-focused alternative.

But the world moved on. So much has shifted in infotainment since 2013. Mazda Connect and its dial debuted before the launch of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, two touch-based operating systems, and integration issues arose when Mazda added those features. Trying to scroll through a phone mirroring app designed for taps and swipes using a dial felt clunky, and customers noticed.

What the New System Looks Like

Mazda replaces its signature knob with a touchscreen in the 2026 CX-5, and the numbers are impressive. The Premium Plus is the only trim to get a 15.6-inch touchscreen. Even going with the standard setup gains you an advantage, since the starter screen grows from 10.3 inches in the 2025 models to 12.9 for 2026.

The all-new CX-5 will be the first Mazda vehicle to include Google Built-in, which provides a more connected, tailored experience. With Google Maps as the main navigation system, access to the Google Play Store apps, and Google Gemini, an AI assistant coming soon to cars with this technology, you can find everything you need in one place. The system will also be compatible with wireless Apple CarPlay in addition to Android Auto.

Unlike the outgoing CX-5, which has separate physical climate controls, the new CX-5 moves those to the touchscreen. They are anchored at the bottom so they’re always visible. That’s a trade-off some buyers will love and others will grumble about, but at least you won’t have to dig through menus to adjust the temperature.

How Mazda Plans to Keep It Safe

The biggest concern with ditching the rotary knob? Driver distraction. Mazda knew this would be a sticking point, so they tackled it from multiple angles.

The steering wheel has been completely redesigned, with Mazda increasing the number of controls that drivers can access while keeping both hands on the wheel. The audio system’s volume control is operated via the steering wheel. And when you don’t want to touch anything at all, you can use voice commands through Google Assistant to handle navigation, music, calls, and more.

Google Built-In is also touch-based while providing access to over 350 in-vehicle apps, and Mazda acknowledged that trying to control that great variety of apps with a singular command knob would be very difficult. That’s a fair point. There’s only so much a single dial can do when you’re dealing with hundreds of app interfaces.

With a majority of adults owning a smartphone, they’re accustomed to touch-based systems, and Mazda didn’t want a super complicated user experience that required reading a massive owner’s manual. The learning curve for the new system should be almost zero for anyone who’s used a phone in the last ten years.

A Big Bet on Mazda’s Best Seller

This new approach was introduced in the Mazda CX-5, which remains the brand’s best-selling model in the modern age. The CX-5 recently became the company’s third vehicle to surpass five million units in production, following the 323 and the Mazda3. That makes the CX-5 the perfect test case for Mazda’s touchscreen bet. If it works here, expect every future Mazda to follow suit.

The 2026 CX-5 comes in five trim levels: S, Select, Preferred, Premium, and Premium Plus. Pricing starts at $31,485 including destination, and tops out at $40,485 for the Premium Plus. The CX-5 retains last year’s 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 187 horsepower and 186 lb-ft of torque, with all-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic transmission. A turbo is no longer offered, but an available hybrid powertrain is on tap for 2027.

Mazda isn’t the only automaker going this direction. Audi phased out its MMI rotary controller, while BMW has been progressively removing its iDrive controller in new models. The rotary dial, it seems, is going the way of the CD changer.

Will Mazda Fans Warm Up to the New Setup?

Long-time Mazda owners who loved the knob may feel a sense of loss. Mazda ran extensive customer research and worked on this new direction for a long time because they wanted it to be intuitive and easy to use, with customer feedback playing a big role in the decision. Whether the new setup lives up to Mazda’s promises won’t be clear until the CX-5 hits driveways and owners put it through daily use. But the combination of a big touchscreen, redesigned steering wheel controls, and voice recognition at least shows Mazda didn’t make this move without thinking it through.