A plethora of poor design trends pervades automotive history, and many will quickly join the screen-only interface craze. Acknowledged. Spending the week with the 2026 Volkswagen Golf GTI has reminded me of a design flaw that has tainted the entire industry and, surprisingly, isn’t often enough under scrutiny: glossy piano black plastic.
To clarify, Volkswagen, particularly with the 2026 Golf GTI, is not isolated nor is it the central focus of this narrative. It simply served as the catalyst and reminder that this issue warrants the world’s brightest spotlight. A significant number of automakers are participating in this terrible trend, including luxury brands that set the bar high.
Before delving into countless instances across the industry where this is occurring, let’s examine the reasons for its prevalence, why it constitutes a dreadful idea, and how innovative automakers are sidestepping the problem.
Glossy piano black plastic spread like wildfire through the industry quickly because, from day one, it can make a vehicle appear significantly more luxurious and costly than it is, at a fraction of the cost of other materials. The sunlight dances and sparkles off this material, giving the entire interior a slick finish as if black lacquer has been applied throughout. While it lacks the warm feeling of wood, the shiny piano black plastic doesn’t exude the frigid aura of metal or even silver plastic trim.
The dilemma, which can occur within minutes, is that regardless of how meticulous, how obsessive, or how careful someone is, the shiny piano black plastic trim inevitably gets scratched, marked, or damaged quickly with regular use. Be it coins or keys dropping onto the center console or a phone slipping from a hand, every single flaw appears instantly and prominently.
Even if one is extraordinarily fortunate and manages to keep objects away from the plastic, fingerprints become visible in an instant, giving the entire surface a dirty appearance. This inevitably leads to someone grabbing a cloth or towel to clean it, which then results in swirl marks and hazing, much like car paint, making the shiny piano black plastic appear dull at best. At worst, those micro scratches become apparent every time light reflects off the surface.
The situation is exacerbated in a family vehicle such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee, where children might toss items forward or drop their toys.
Few automakers remain immune to the temptation of utilizing this material. Mercedes-Benz applies it liberally in their high-end models. Jeep incorporates it in the Grand Cherokee. Volkswagen adores shiny piano black plastic, and it’s present all over the center console, as well as sections of the digital gauge cluster surround, on this Golf GTI I’m driving this week. Kia has coated the center console of the EV6 with this material. Most contemporary Audis feature an excessive amount of it.
Some automakers have recognized this problem and transitioned to alternative trim materials. Mazda avoided it in the CX-90, demonstrating that it’s possible to create upscale-looking plastic trim that doesn’t easily scratch. Lucid stays away from it, nor do Rivian or Tesla. Cadillac, Volvo, Hyundai, and Genesis use it sparingly, with the latter two employing it in areas that are less susceptible to scratching.
Critics can voice their opinions on touchscreens, but there are myriad materials available for automakers to creatively explore. The shiny piano black plastic trend ought to be relegated to the past and never revisited.
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