because it follows the “touch screen everything” trend
It’s a cost-saving measure. A giant iPad is cheaper than a thoughtfully designed center console with buttons of different shapes and sizes. It makes sense to do something like this when you’re trying to make the bare minimum car.
No, but they still cost more. When you’re selling cars at a massive scale, marginal gains add up. It’s why Ford killed people with the Pinto’s explosive gas tank to save $11 per car. It’s why Tesla doesn’t include a gauge cluster, turn signal stalk, or gear selector in the Model 3. It’s why new cars seem to never include spare tires anymore. Marginal gains at a massive scale are massive gains.