More Basic Vehicles Lack Infotainment Screen or Radio

While infotainment screens are larger and more prevalent than ever, some budget vehicles are forgoing the radio screen or radio or both. The Slate truck, due in a year, ships without an infotainment screen. Two newly announced budget Tesla models ship without a radio.

The GMC Savana van reportedly comes with only a 1990’s style monochrome dot matrix infotainment display, according to Autopian.

And more base model vehicles in Europe are leaving the factory without an infotainment screen, including the Stellantis Opel Frontera. The German SUV simply has a phone cradle on the dash where the touchscreen might have been (see image below), as recently discovered by a Reddit user, according to Jalopnik.   

In the case of the Opel Frontera, drivers can buy a “Tech” upgrade package with a 10-inch screen, backup camera, wireless charging, DAB radio and front armrest with storage for the equivalent of about $1,200. 

Other European car makers Dacia, Citroen, and Fiat also forgo screens in their base model vehicles, according to CarScoops. 

The new lower cost Teslas, the Model Y Standard and 3 Standard, offer the same 15.4-inch infotainment screen as the earlier models but there’s no AM/FM radio and no second-row screen. The Model Y Standard is slated for November/December delivery, and the Model 3 Standard arrives in the December/January time frame.

As announced this spring, the Slate electric truck (pictured above) will come only with a phone holder on the dash. The basic model (“Blank Slate”) is stripped of most luxuries to reach an expected price of around $25,000. There are no power windows and only a 150 mile range.

But users can add many accessories including a bracket that can hold a large tablet to act as your screen. There’s an option for a holder for a portable Bluetooth speaker and users can buy accessory speakers.

Slate Auto said in April, “Built-in infotainment systems raise a car’s price, and they become outdated quickly and have high failure rates.”

Car makers are also starting to remove AM from vehicles, especially electric vehicles, however a bill in congress may mandate car makers include the feature.

Is there a movement to remove the infotainment screen in base model vehicles? We can’t say. Analyst firm Counterpoint noted that car makers are under pressure to reduce costs, but the display panel market continues to expand and infotainment screens are expected to keep increasing in size. While touchscreens may not be phased out, suppliers are cutting back on touchscreen controls in favor of knobs and hard buttons.

Top photo: Slate pickup due in a year.