The Honda HR-V and Suzuki e-Vitara have the most distracting infotainment touchscreens among 21 new cars tested by automotive consumer platform What Car?, according to a new study into how much time drivers spend looking away from the road.
The research found that simple tasks, such as changing the radio station, can take up to 81 seconds on some cars, a length of time the study flagged as a dangerous distraction for drivers. Both the Honda HR-V and Suzuki e-Vitara were awarded just one star by What Car? judges, its lowest rating.
There is currently no official rule on when a car's systems count as distracting, but car makers generally follow guidance that a driver is not concentrating sufficiently if they take their eyes off the road for more than 3.5 seconds at a time. To assess the British cars, What Car? applied the 12-second task time limit set by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Testers ran each of the 21 models through four tasks: switching the radio from Kisstory to Radio 4, both on DAB; changing the interior temperature from 18C to 24C; turning on the driver's heated seat; and setting the sat-nav to a specific destination. Drivers wore Tobii Glasses 3, which used two tiny cameras in each lens alongside Soma Reality software to analyse changes in pupil size and measure cognitive workload and attention in real time. Testers then scored distraction level, how absorbed the driver became in the screen, mental effort, and total time taken.
Most distracting infotainment systems
The Honda HR-V finished last of the 21 cars. Its nine-inch touchscreen was found to be unresponsive and not user-friendly, with all tasks taking 100.8 seconds and both distraction level and mental effort rated high. What Car? noted the test was carried out before Honda rolled out an update intended to improve the system.
The Suzuki e-Vitara finished 20th. Its 10.1-inch screen, the joint smallest of those tested, was found to be glitchy and slow, which added to the mental effort required. Tasks took 44 seconds in total, with distraction rated medium and mental effort high, earning it one star overall.
In 19th place, the MG IM5's ISmart Connected Suite scored two stars. Total task time came to 108.6 seconds, with distraction and mental effort both rated medium. Its voice control only worked with certain commands, and its two-screen layout increased the time spent looking away from the road.
The Ford Ranger pick-up took 18th place after its Sync 4A voice control failed to work for many functions, with testers spending too much time reading the on-screen transcript of voice commands. Tasks took 110.6 seconds, with distraction and mental effort both rated high, giving it two stars.
Rounding out the five worst was the BYD Sealion 5, whose 12.8-inch touchscreen had generally good, responsive voice control, but manual functions were slow and long-winded. Total time came to 90.5 seconds, with distraction and mental effort both rated medium, for an overall two-star rating.
Least distracting infotainment systems
At the other end of the table, the Volkswagen T-Roc's MIB4 system took fifth place. Testers praised its "excellent" AI-backed voice control for quickly adjusting temperature and heated seats and recognising a home address, though finding the correct radio station took longer. Total time was 19.3 seconds, distraction was low and effort medium, earning four stars.
The Mini Cooper Electric, running Mini Operating System 9, came fourth. Its Google-based voice control was called "highly competent," though testers had to look at the screen more than with the best systems. Total time was 18.9 seconds, with distraction low and mental effort medium, for four stars.
The Tesla Model Y took bronze. Its 15.4-inch interface responded quickly to inputs, and the Tesla AI Grok voice command usually worked after a single command; testers glanced at the screen repeatedly but did not find it distracting. Total time was 18.3 seconds, distraction low and mental effort medium, earning five stars.
The Mercedes-Benz GLB took silver with five stars. Its system, which draws on AI from Google and Microsoft, breezed through all four tasks, and testers glanced at the screen only to check voice control without becoming absorbed. Total time was 12.2 seconds, with distraction low and mental effort medium.
The Renault 4 topped the ranking as the least distracting system overall. Its OpenR Link infotainment, built on the new retro electric model, is simple to use, responsive and has Google built in, with highly competent voice control. Testers said the driver was able to keep their attention on the road while completing tasks and spent comparatively little time looking at the screen. Total time was 12.2 seconds, with distraction level and mental effort both low, earning a full five-star rating.
Voice control cuts distraction
What Car? found that performing simple tasks using good-quality voice control was 96 per cent faster, and far less distracting, than using a car fitted with a poor system. However, many drivers remain reluctant to use voice control because it has proved unreliable in the past.
A survey of 1,157 drivers carried out by What Car? found the radio and sat-nav to be the two most frequently used infotainment functions, used by 71 per cent and 70 per cent of respondents respectively. Yet only 27 per cent said they relied on their car's voice control system, and 85 per cent said infotainment systems should have more physical buttons.
What Car? consumer editor Claire Evans said: "Car makers need to make it a priority to install voice control systems that are efficient and easy to use. This would encourage drivers to use them instead of touchscreen controls, which are more distracting."
A Honda spokesperson said: "Honda takes customer usability and safety extremely seriously. The HR-V included in this comparison was tested before the rollout of a software update that improved the Honda CONNECT infotainment system, a point acknowledged within the article itself. We are continuously evolving our in-car technologies based on real-world usage and feedback, and remain committed to delivering systems that are intuitive, reliable and supportive of safe driving."
