Cars are moving toward larger, more capable digital displays, but the trend is not a universal shift to one giant LCD. Current evidence points to a mix of display technologies and interfaces: LCD remains dominant, newer LCD types are gaining ground, OLED is used in some premium applications, and clusters, center screens, head-up displays and physical controls continue to serve different purposes.
Why are new cars switching to digital dashboards?
Traditional gauges show information in a fixed arrangement. A digital instrument cluster renders that information on a screen, so automakers can change its layout and graphics in software. That flexibility can make it possible to present different information priorities, but it does not by itself establish that a digital dashboard is safer or that every car needs a full-width screen.
Displays are also taking on functions once handled by separate control-panel screens. Omdia says some of those functions have moved to the main center display, while others have been replaced with physical buttons to support driver ergonomics and tactile feedback. The result is better understood as a coordinated cockpit than as one screen replacing every control.
What is the difference between a cluster, center display and HUD?
| Interface | Typical role | Where it presents information |
|---|---|---|
| Instrument cluster | Vehicle status and real-time driving information | In front of the driver, behind the steering wheel |
| Center display | Infotainment, communication, navigation and integrated functions | On the center stack |
| Head-up display (HUD) | Selected information such as navigation guidance, performance data or warnings | Projected into the driver’s forward field of view |
These interfaces can complement one another rather than compete to become the sole dashboard. Omdia describes the center display as an integration hub, the cluster as a source of immediate driving information and the HUD as an extension of forward situational awareness. Mobility Global’s survey likewise found consumers associating clusters with vehicle status, center displays with entertainment, communication and navigation, and HUDs with guidance and driving information.
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Is LCD still the main technology in car displays?
Yes, in the specific measure of automotive center information display (CID) area, LCD remained dominant in Counterpoint Research’s account of 2025. OLED represented less than 2% of CID area that year, while MiniLED LCD gained share. These figures describe center-display area, not every screen in a vehicle.
“LCD” also covers more than one panel type. Omdia reports that LTPS TFT LCD is gaining ground against older a-Si TFT LCD. Omdia attributes higher resolution, greater brightness, lower power consumption and stronger touch integration to LTPS. LCD’s mature supply chain and large production capacity are also part of the technology’s continued presence, according to Counterpoint.
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OLED appears in some premium cockpit programs and offers different display characteristics. Counterpoint analyst Guillaume Chansin described OLED as a premium technology with strong contrast and distinctive design possibilities. That does not mean OLED is replacing LCD across the market.
What do the latest market figures say about screen size and adoption?
The figures below measure different things—CID area, passenger-vehicle sales, shipments and panel revenue—and should not be read as interchangeable measures of adoption.
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| Measure | Reported figure | Scope and source |
|---|---|---|
| Automotive CID total area | Up 19% year over year in 2025 | Counterpoint Research, reporting 2025 results; CID area |
| 15–20-inch CIDs | 11% of passenger-vehicle sales in 2025, up from 7% in 2024 | Counterpoint Research, 2026; passenger-vehicle sales |
| 10–15-inch CIDs | 60% in 2025, up from 54% in 2024 | Counterpoint Research, 2026; CID size range |
| Automotive display shipments | 120.96 million units in the first half of 2025, up 5.1% year over year | Omdia, 2025; global shipments |
| Instrument-cluster shipments | 43.3 million units in the first half of 2025, up 16.8% year over year | Omdia, 2025; global shipments |
| Center-stack display panel mix | LTPS LCD: 46.4%; a-Si LCD: 51.0% in the first half of 2025 | Omdia, 2025; center-stack display application |
| Automotive display-panel market | $13.6 billion projected for 2025; LTPS TFT LCD projected at 45% and OLED at 9% of panel revenue | Omdia forecast published July 2025; projections, not confirmed realized results |
Counterpoint also reports that most digital instrument clusters were based on 10–15-inch displays. Omdia says cluster shipments below six inches grew fastest in the first half of 2025, supported by compact electric vehicles and entry-level models in emerging markets. The contrast illustrates why there is no single screen-size trajectory for every vehicle category.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does a larger screen make a better dashboard?
Not necessarily. Continental’s 2024 study found a preference for large-surface displays among respondents in each of the five surveyed countries, but it also found a preference for simple interfaces and variation by country. In that study, 80% of Japanese respondents preferred simple, uncomplicated display interfaces, while 58% of US motorists preferred colorful display content.
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Mobility Global’s survey of 8,023 vehicle owners across eight markets, reporting 2025 survey results in 2026, found that 65% valued instrument clusters even when HUDs were available. In the same survey, 48% preferred a combination of touchscreens and physical buttons or knobs. These are reported consumer preferences, not proof that a particular layout is safest or best for every driver.
Will your next car have one big LCD?
It may have a larger center screen, a digital cluster or several coordinated displays, but the evidence does not support a guarantee that every next car will use one large LCD panel. The mix varies with vehicle class, price tier and market: LCD remains prominent, LTPS is gaining within LCD, OLED is appearing in premium applications, and some models continue to use compact clusters or physical controls.
The more useful expectation is a cockpit whose displays divide tasks, rather than a single screen doing everything. Screen size alone tells little about how clearly a car presents driving information or how its controls feel to use.
Sources: Counterpoint Research; Omdia; Omdia; Continental AG; Mobility Global; Mobility Global.
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