As Screens Retreat, Tactile Experience Takes the Lead: A Guide to Three Core Automotive CMF Technologies

The competition in automotive interiors is shifting from screen size to tactile precision. The combined influence of regulations, materials science, and supply chains is transforming the subjective concept of “good hand feel” into a set of measurable physical parameters.

1. Tactile Characterization: Texture Depth Matters More Than Color

In the past, CMF selection often became a “color swatch battle.” However, a 2026 study published in the Journal of Eye Movement Research on visual-tactile perception of PU synthetic leather for automotive seats provides quantitative evidence. The study established three roughness gradients—smooth, plain-textured, and lychee-textured surfaces—and combined them with a four-color matrix. Through eye-tracking and tactile evaluations, the researchers found that surface texture had a significant main effect on perceived softness and pleasantness, while the influence of color variation was very weak. Highly complex textures can extend fixation duration, indicating increased perceptual salience. The introduction of visual cues, meanwhile, can weaken the pleasantness of pure tactile perception.

Implementation Parameters: For frequently touched areas such as door armrests, steering wheels, and the knee-contact areas of center consoles, manufacturers should prioritize defining roughness (Ra/Rz), texture depth (20–120 μm), pitch (0.5–3 mm), edge radius (R0.05–R0.3 mm), and coefficients of friction under dry, sweaty, and gloved conditions.

2. Smart Surfaces: A Three-Layer Architecture for “Hidden Yet Tactile” Interfaces

The return of physical buttons does not mean that smart surfaces are disappearing. Instead, the direction is shifting from “replacing buttons” to “hiding displays while retaining tactile feedback.” Current mainstream solutions rely on the coordinated operation of three layers:

Surface Material Layer: PU-coated textiles, wood-grain films, or IML films can preserve the original texture and tactile characteristics. Marquardt’s The Centum concept car uses Covestro’s INSQIN® waterborne PU transparent coating, with E Ink electronic paper embedded beneath the PU textile. When the display is off, the original textile texture remains visible; when the display is on, dynamic information can be displayed, combining wear resistance with hydrolysis resistance.

Sensing Layer: A dual-mode capacitive and pressure sensing system distinguishes between a light touch and an intentional press, helping reduce accidental inputs.

Feedback Layer: Piezoelectric ceramics or linear motors provide localized “click” confirmation, with response latency needing to be controlled at the millisecond level.

Production Applications: SAIC Volkswagen’s ID.ERA 9X uses a micro-perforated translucent wood-grain smart surface. The wood grain remains visible when the display is off, while control icons appear when it is on, replacing some physical buttons. Nissha’s in-mold electronics technology integrates circuits into the film, enabling hidden displays through a dead-front design.

3. Health and Safety: From “Soft-Coverage Ratio” to “Contact Classification”

Regulations are bringing safety-related controls back to physical interfaces. The draft revision of China’s GB 4094 standard proposed by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is expected to require 11 categories of functions, including turn signals, hazard warning lights, and windshield wipers, to have physical controls, emphasizing accessibility, usability, and basic blind operation. Euro NCAP 2026 is also incorporating key controls into its safety assessment.

Production Applications: Nearly 100% of the frequently touched surfaces in the Xiaomi SU7 are covered with soft materials and meet the highest level of OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification. Li Auto’s low-formaldehyde PU upholstery reportedly reduces formaldehyde emissions by approximately 70% compared with mainstream products in the industry, while customized POM materials are used for air-conditioning vents to further reduce formaldehyde emissions. The AITO M8 manages VOCs and odors according to the China Automotive Technology and Research Center’s five-star healthy vehicle standards.

New CMF Specifications: Material specifications need to expand from simply defining “leather type + color” to seven key categories: VOC emissions under normal and high-temperature conditions, odor intensity, OEKO-TEX certification, wear and sweat resistance, antibacterial performance, flame retardancy, and child-contact classification.

Competition across the supply chain has therefore moved beyond simply selling materials. Suppliers are increasingly expected to deliver an integrated system covering materials + electronics + feedback + regulatory evidence.