Chrysler’s cockpit concept is a preview of our screen-packed, button-less future

By 2028, iconic American automotive brand Chrysler says it will be an electric-only company. As such, it needs an interior that compliments and accentuates this shift to an emission-free future. Today, Chrysler unveiled a “demonstrator” cockpit designed to showcase a host of new technologies that the automaker’s future EV owners can expect to have at their fingertips.

Hopefully those future owners hate physical buttons because, if these images are any indication, there won’t be any. There will be plenty of screens, though.

The demonstrator is meant to bring together a host of Stellantis-branded software, including the STLA Brain operating system, the STLA AutoDrive Level 3 driver assist, and the STLA Smart Cockpit infotainment system. The Synthesis concept is designed to present all of those products together as one unified system.

Chrysler says its cockpit demonstrator is designed to help “manage the friction and chaos of everyday life with thoughtfully connected technology with a contemporary, sustainable environment that anticipates and delivers Harmony in Motion with every customer experience.” Chrysler envisions its vehicles achieving this by anticipating the driver’s needs before they even step inside the vehicle.

The vehicle’s software will sync all of your calendars and smart home data, noting what time your appointments are and where, as it begins to plot your day. That includes navigating to all your destinations, with EV charging stops along the way as necessary. Stepping inside the vehicle, you’ll be greeted by a virtual assistant who verifies your identity based on “biometric recognition.”

The vehicle will be equipped with Level 3 driver assistance, meaning it will be able to handle all the driving tasks within a designated area, like on a highway, without any human input. In other words, hands-free and eyes-off driving. (Experts say this type of driver-assist feature can be extremely dangerous, depending on how it’s implemented.)

Chrysler is also promising fun and wellness features, including meditation, karaoke, and DJ games. Many automakers are chasing after Tesla in providing in-car gaming experiences, and Chrysler appears ready to jump on the bandwagon.

The design of the Synthesis cockpit was inspired by Chrysler’s Airflow, which was released in concept form at CES last year. The concept, which is expected to go into production in 2025, was meant to serve as a preview of what’s to come. Despite its backward-looking branding — Airflow is a historic nameplate for the automaker — the concept car is an indication of the “future direction” for the nearly 100-year-old car company