New designs, locations for shift levers are changing the game for car interior design

In most new cars, when a driver moves a shift lever, an electronic signal is sent to the vehicle’s computer, which then engages the correct gear. Because there is no longer a mechanical link, these buttons or levers could really be anything and placed anywhere within reach of the driver.

So, why do most still look like a manual shifter and are placed between the seats? The simple answer is tradition. That’s what people are used to. While car companies have experimented over the last century with moving the shifter, it never really caught on by a majority of brands until now.

Today, car designers are reimagining the shifter design and location as well as the entire interior space as part of a growing trend to create more functional, inviting spaces. Simply put, shrink the shifter size and have more room for phones, water bottles, wallets, keys and all of our other small items that we normally drop in a cup holder.

Mercedes-Benz was one of the first car companies to revive the column gear shifter and free up space in the centre console in 2005. But drivers, reluctant to change, opposed the move largely because they weren’t used to it. Nowadays, many car companies are following suit. Here are five gear shifter designs that are reshaping the interior of new cars:

Stalks on steering wheel columns

Thanks to Mercedes-Benz, smaller, sleeker stalks on the steering wheel column are making a comeback, especially on new electric vehicles. Available in all shapes and sizes, some such as the Lucid Gravity, have thin, long and narrow gear shifter stalks on the steering column; while others such as the Volvo EX30 are bigger and bulkier.

But they’re not created equally. Many aren’t intuitive to use. Others aren’t properly positioned within the driver’s view. Some stalks are placed too close to other stalks such as the turn signal, wiper blade or adaptive cruise control so it’s easy to engage the wrong stalk accidentally.

Sometimes stalks are positioned too low on the steering wheel, such as on the Hyundai Ioniq 9, which makes it difficult to see because its blocked by a thick steering wheel. At times, the letters for D, R or P are too light or small – you need a magnifying glass to read the letters on the shifter of the new Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class. But at least, having these gear shifters tucked away on the steering wheel column gives the driver and front passenger extra elbow room.

Piano keys

Some car companies such as Nissan and Lincoln use a piano key gear shifter with push buttons on the dashboard. The piano keys on the all-new electric 2026 Nissan Leaf are easy to see and simple to engage – push D to drive; R to reverse and P to park – you don’t need an owner’s manual to figure it out.

“As automatic transmissions become more prevalent, the driving experience is shifting away from the traditional manual operation of mechanical components toward an era of automatic, button-based controls,” Nissan’s executive design director Satoru Tai wrote in an email.

Placing the keys on the dashboard adds a modern touch and frees up space in the centre console.

Tiny toggle switches

Some car companies have adopted tiny, compact electronic gear shifters, such the ones in the all-new 2026 Audi A5 sedan. Likewise, the 2026 Toyota RAV4 hybrid Limited trim has an electronic gear shifter with a stubby toggle switch in the centre console. Each one is different so it can be frustrating at first for the driver.

In some cases, you pull back to drive and forward to reverse. On the Mini Cooper S Convertible, the gear shifter and tiny toggle switch is located on the dashboard below the navigation screen. To engage drive, push down; to reverse, lift up.

The switches can be awkward and disorienting to use because it’s easy to accidentally engage neutral instead of drive or reverse. The compact size creates more space for wireless charging pads and bigger cupholders.

Rotary dials

Another growing trend is the rise of rotary dial gear shifters. Modern, compact and stylish, the dials are often easy to use, even when wearing gloves. Some vehicles, such as the RAM 1500 with the rotary dial left of the centre touchscreen and the Ford Bronco Sport’s centre console location are simple to use – turn a dial to set the desired gear. Others are more complex and unnecessarily confusing such as the rotating crystal-ball gear shifter on the Genesis GV60.

“Adopting the rotary dial shifter in the Ram 1500 in the 2013 model year helped open our cabin layout. By moving away from a traditional column or console shifter, it frees up space for more storage and tech features, like larger bins, more cupholders and wireless charging. It also gives the interior a cleaner, more modern look,” said Ryan Nagode, vice-president and head of interior design at Stellantis North America.

Pistol shifters

If you like the shifter just where it is as a stick in the middle of the car, there is a brand that is doubling down on that design for one of its new cars.

Dodge is going in the opposite direction with a tactile, ergonomic and large centre-mounted gear shifter. The Charger Daytona electric sedan has Dodge’s traditional pistol gear shifter instead of a more modern version.

And the design was intentional. “Every detail had to feel authentic, powerful and unapologetically Dodge,” said Nagode, who is also responsible for Dodge’s interior design. “It’s a modern and stylistic nod to Dodge’s performance legacy by providing a grip that is comfortable and perfectly placed for the driver’s use, beyond just shifting gears,” he said.

But for an all-electric muscle car, the pistol shifter feels outdated compared to these new gear shifter designs in the competition.