I just drove the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado, The Bowtie’s fresh new midsize truck aiming to take on the Toyota Tacoma, and while I’ll publish a full review soon, for now we need to talk about the headlight switch.
The vast majority of cars have their headlight switch in one of two locations: The left side of the steering wheel on the dashboard, or on a stalk mounted to the steering column. Here’s a look at the outgoing, 2022, Chevy Colorado’s headlight switch, which lets you turn the lights off, activate
This switch allows you to turn the headlights off, leave them in “auto,” turn on just the parking lights, or turn them on. Plus, a push in the center turns on the fog lights:
The second common headlight switch location is the column-mounted. This is where the Toyota Tacoma, the vehicle whose sales Chevy really wants to encroach upon with the new Colorado, has its lighting control stalk:
You twist the end of the stalk to turn the lights off and on, to turn on only the parking lights, to turn off the daytime running lights, to put the switch into auto mode, etc. You’re probably all familiar with this.
The new Chevrolet Colorado, as my co-driver at the first-drive event (and boss at A Girl’s Guide to Cars) Scott Reiss pointed out, forgoes these rather intuitive headlight switch concepts for something that especially truck customers might find a bit surprising:
That’s right. The headlight switch is part of the infotainment screen!
From the home screen, you press a lightbulb at the top, and that will open up the headlight “toolbar” (that’s what I’m calling it), which offers the following modes: off, auto, parking lights, on. The toolbar only remains in place for a few seconds after you press the little bulb icon, then it disappears. It’s worth noting that the high beams are actuated via the stalk mounted on the left side of the steering column, so that’s still fairly traditional:
Overall, it’s a rather peculiar headlight switch setup, but the lack of a physical switch isn’t specific to the new Colorado. I bet you can guess which other brand is doing it:
That’s right — Tesla’s headlight switch is also located in the infotainment display. I can’t off the top of my head think of other mainstream car brands with this setup, but I bet there are a few.
I spoke with a Chevrolet spokesperson about the brand’s decision to forego a physical headlight switch in favor of the touchscreen, and he told me it comes down to OTA, or over-the-air update capability. Per the spokesperson, allowing the infotainment system to actuate the headlights means Chevrolet has wireless access to the headlights, should the brand decide it wants to install some kind of update that affects the headlight function.
I don’t mean to suggest that Chevy is going to go in this silly direction, but it’s worth noting that Tesla’s “Holiday Mode” light show function was an over-the-air update:
I don’t see why one couldn’t have both a physical switch (perhaps a “fake” mechanical switch that works through the infotainment system, and is not an actual mechanical switch that directly actuates relays to send current to the lights) and OTA capability, but in any case, this is the route Chevy chose to take.
I don’t think it’s a massive deal given that most folks will keep their vehicle in “auto” mode 99 percent of the time, but at the same time, I think it’s going to receive more criticism in this application than it does in a Tesla. The Colorado is a truck, after all, and if you look at the transmission shifter (shown above) in the truck — an electronic, center tunnel-mounted shifter that mimics the look and feel of an old mechanical PRNDL — it’s clear GM understands that truck customers like chunky things, even if they’re not entirely logical (the shifter is a waste of space). It is worth noting that the electric park brake shown above represents a shift away from a chunky pedal or hand-actuated lever, but few folks use park brakes on automatic-equipped cars, anyway. Are most folks entirely onboard with “set and forget” automatic headlights? I’m not quite sure yet; I wouldn’t be surprised if Chevy sees a bit of backlash for the screen-accessed headlight “switch.”
This makes it so much easier for them to make your headlights a subscription service.
In the end, we (consumers and regulators) need decide how much operational responsibility we are willing to keep for ourselves vs handing over to a sensor. If auto headlights protects idiots from themselves, turn the lights on all the time. But I find this approach to safety insulting. If modern humans cannot be trusted to know how/when to use lights, we are all fu$&@d.
My respect to Tesla for at least being consistent with screen-centered driving. Chevy is doing it half-assed and backwards in my view. Reminds me of the touch bar on the Mac keyboard.
^^^This^^^
My first reaction was I would probably rather have the switch, but then thinking about my fleet of cars with auto lights, I can probably count the times on one hand where I actually used anything other than auto mode. Default on all my vehicles is auto, so not something I would really ever interact with on a day-day basis. I’ve decided I’m fine with this particular use case.
I have insisted for years that American drivers are too dumb to be trusted w/ a light switch. Too many people driving around w/zero lights on (I’m guessing that the IP is still illuminated), or just the dimly lit high beam DRLs and no tail lights. Of course, there are the willfully dim bulbs (the driver, not the car) who don’t recognize that the IP is not illuminated at night because the fuse for the IP & tail lights isn’t he same on & it’s blown.
Firstly, the roads here are so chewed up that often when i try to change radio station on touchscreen head unit, i hit a bump and my finger misses target whilst I’m getting bounced around.
secondly, new(ish) law in massachusetts to turn on lights when the windshield wipers are activated – not so much the headlights (cuz already DRL) but for tail lights so people behind me can see – so ya I DO turn lights on/off every week or 3.
touch screen is poor design for headlight switch – borderline unsafe.
The lights turn on automatically if you have your wipers going
My hope is that the OTA functionality they have in mind is automatic brights. I seem to recall legislation recently or soon that will make that ubiquitous feature (outside the US) doable. The bright switch is a function of the physical stalk, which, like the skeuomorphic shifter, would need to interact with the infotainment center anyway, so maybe I’m just dreaming. Toyota’s engineers have said/lied/talked down to the consumer for years that the Tacoma has drum brakes in 2023 (and previous years) because brake biasing, or trucks need drum brakes for truck reasons, or whatever other nonsense that completely falls apart with even cursory brainwaves, so it might all just be along those lines of “thinking”. Aka., it’s a cost saving measure, but here’s a semi-plausible excuse so you’ll stop asking.
Okay, I’m an old fart. What in the hell was wrong with a headlight switch that was a simple push-pull switch with two detents. Pull to the first detent and you get parking/DRL. Pull to the 2nd detent, you get headlights. Simple enough. Fog lights used a 2nd switch.
Admittedly it does require the driver to have situational awareness, ie. I’m operating a vehicle. I’m responsible for being cognizant whether it is light or dark outside. And yes, as the operator, you need to remember whether you have turned them on or off. Still pretty damned simple.
I think for most folks the on/off/auto on the screen is a non issue, they’ll set it on Auto and leave it there.
Our Audi has a sensitivity setting for the auto headlights, my wife has it set so that it seems like they’re always on. OTOH, it also has a sensitivity setting for the wipers, but we leave them in manual mode as the auto setting sucks completely.
We do leave the lights in auto all the time tho……I’m undecided on whether this is a good idea or not. On the one hand it’s convenient, on the other it’s unecessary that they be on as much as they are, so that means I’ll probably be replacing bulbs sooner?
To be fair, Audis aren’t exactly a paragon of cockpit usability.
I’m good with it, headlights should always be on anyways
When equipped with automatic headlights, I’m fine with this. Interacting with the headlight switch is no longer a regular task which I would want to do without taking my eyes off the road.
Is there a Colorado available without automatic headlights? If so, does it get the physical light switch back?
Second thought – If they’re going to integrate headlight controls with the software package, can we get all the customization options that a software controlled system would make possible? User adjustable settings for the sensitivity of the headlight sensor, timing, whether DRL includes fogs, whether DRL includes rear lights, hazard flash patterns, blinking brake lights, etc. These could all be buried in a settings menu, but it would be a nice tradeoff for the elimination of the physical switch.
Feel like I’ll stick with the Taco and oil changes for another 150,000 miles.
It beats opening the valve on the acetylene tank and walking to the front of the car to light the lamps.
That said, I get why manufacturers do this. Putting controls in the infotainment screen simplifies wiring and assembly leaving fewer wrong ways the car can be put together and fewer parts to break (years ago I had the stalk-mounted headlight switch on my ’76 Toyota come apart in my hand). As has been mentioned, it also facilitates OTA updates, though it’s hard to imagine what updates you would do to lighting that wouldn’t involve replacing parts.
Downsides include having to take eyes off the road and fumble through menus while driving and relying on the big screen for everything so if it goes down (they do) everything goes down. The silliest application of this is putting the control for the glove box latch in the touch screen (looking at you, Tesla). It still requires a mechanical latch but adds wiring and a solenoid to pop it, complicating assembly not simplifying it. But, hey, you do you, Tesla.
As someone who is possibly looking for a new vehicle soon, I absolutely have no issue with this; I like the “set it and forget it” idea.
My only issue is what if the screen gets broken/malfunctions? (Especially in the WT trim which I’m going to guess will be mostly fleet and/or “cheap” people who want a basic truck and won’t get it fixed asap.)
Like others have said the physical mechanism doesn’t actually need to be mechanical, just function like modern electronic shifters do.
My dad on the other hand is anxiously waiting for the 23 Colorado/Canyon to hit the lot so he can test drive them and I already can hear him complaining about it. He currently has an older Sierra with automatic headlights and doesn’t touch the dial on the dash but his jeep also has automatic headlights (on the blinker stalk) and refuses to use that feature.
Dumb, de dumb dumb DUUUUUUUMB!
Seriously, it’s just a bad idea. Everyone knows the usual places for headlight switches. It ain’t broke, so don’t fix it.
And what happens when the infotainment setup invariably dies while you’re driving? You might need backup way to turn on this basic safety equipment.
Absolutely fuck this shit.
I agree, don’t force people into touchscreen controls, let them choose it themselves by buying a Tesla or similar car with most functions handled by a touchscreen. Leave existing cars alone since most people aren’t ready to abandon physical controls.
The OTA update is BS. If they really wanted that capability, the headlight switch could have been integrated into the vehicle’s CAN. I’m sure it’s because someone looked at the data and realized most vehicles with auto headlights stay in auto mode. Then they made a pitch to save $5 per vehicle as most people wouldn’t notice or care.
My Model Y functions this way and at face value it seems like it would be a nuisance, but in practice, you hardly ever think about it. The auto feature is pretty intuitive so it’s rarely turning on/off when it doesn’t make sense, and on the off-chance you need to turn the headlights off it’s just two clicks on the screen.
I own/drive cars built across the last hundred years and once you get a feel for how a specific car operates things like this become a non-issue even when switching between them.
Now, if you REALLY want to amp me up, talk about about not having a wiper stalk. THAT is the dumbest shit ever on that car.
I think about it every time it rains and I have to peck around for the lights because Elon removed the option of having the lights go on with the wipers. He probably did this because the visual rain sensing is such a POS, but that’s off topic ????
Ignore those question marks, I guess emojis don’t work in the comments. Edit button coming soon?
I’ve heard the auto wipers on Tesla’s are inconsistent. I hope the first time I drive my Model 3 in the rain, I’m not looking for the controls. But the voice commands have worked well when I couldn’t find something in the screen.
Now the auto wipers in my wife’s 2013 Grand Cherokee work perfect!
The workaround for the wipers is pretty straightforward, you press the button on the stalk to get one wipe and that automatically pops up a window that lets you pick other options in case you want to turn them on/off manually.
You can also do that with the headlights by pulling on the stalk to get the headlight popup window, but then you become the a-hole Tesla driver that’s flashing their lights for no reason.
No, the dumbest shit is having to go to the touch screen to open the glove box.
Any basic control function like that should have a knob. I notice they didn’t do the same with the emergency flashers.
Why, why, why would you give them ideas?
They would, if a switch were not specifically required by the safety regulations.
As a consumer that owned a 2019 Chevy Silverado, I can say I’m against this. Granted, I’m not against stuff on the infotainment center (as my wife’s Kia EV does it really well), I’m just against stuff on Chevy’s infotainment center.
There wasn’t a single 3+ hour drive that I took, where the screen didn’t go blank and died. If I was listening to music, I couldn’t stop it, turn it up, etc. Have the map/navigation running? Hope you know your way. I was part of multiple forums who were filled with people with the same problem, and with replacements, “updates”, etc. it could never get resolved.
Now I will admit I have a 2022 Colorado now, and the infotainment center has been very reliable (so far); however, it’s only been 3 months, so who knows in a year or so. I agree with the thought of having it two places though. There is plenty of dash space for a switch and on the infotainment screen.
FWIW both my ’19 and ’20 Colorado ZR2s had zero screen/infotainment issues.
Now the rear main at 28k on the ’20 Duramax is another story.
Also pretty sure the headlight switch on most new cars already just sends a message on the CANBUS to change the light functions. Just like most auto transmission selectors are just sending a signal versus engaging anything mechanical
…. What update is GM planning on doing for the headlights?
They’re on, or they’re off.
Tha fuck?
Here is a scenario: you are driving along at night and encounter a bank of fog. You are wearing gloves, because it is cold.
Your desired action is to turn on your fog lights and switch your main lights from ‘low beam’ to parking lights to avoid all the reflected light the low beams are creating.
a) Can you work the touch screen with gloves on?
b) Do you have to divert your vision from the road to the touch screen to figure out how to manage the ‘soft’ buttons of the touch screen?
c) Does the touch screen allow for control of aftermarket lights?
pull over and take your gloves off maybe?
Sound like a Cop
A design that forces you to stop driving to safely activate an essential driving function is a bad design.
I know! Let’s put the wiper switch in the back seat!
Some of live in areas where there is no place to pull over, sometimes for miles. In my mountainous area, there are no shoulders, just the white line at the edge of the road.
d) press the voice command button and ask the car to “turn on your fog lights and switch your main lights from ‘low beam’ to parking lights”.
I thought I would have stronger feelings on this, but it’s…meh? I am fully against putting so many controls on to a touch screen. HVAC controls are the supreme example I believe should never be in a touch screen. Even with an A/C system in Auto, I can make a simple temp adjustment purely by moving the knob by one or two desired clicks.
But this? Honestly, there seems to be more and more people who forget to turn on their headlights these days, which seems to have started a long time ago once always backlit gauges became a popular thing. So, if this gets people to leave it in auto mode, maybe that’s a good thing. And yes, there are reasons to have them on earlier or turn them off, but those are more likely exceptions and not the rule.
It’s fine, I guess.
If “auto” is the default setting, then I probably don’t care. I almost never touch the headlight switch in my newest car.
Afterthought that I just had. Driving though the wild west last year, there were times I would turn on my headlights during the day when it was necessary.
Also this:
https://www.chevrolet.com/support/vehicle/dashboard-lights-signals/intellibeam-automatic-headlamp-control#:~:text=Set%20the%20headlamp%20control%20knob,back%20to%20the%20neutral%20position.
Also, possibly this as an option? Does voice recognition work for the headlights?
http://car-owners-manual.com/2020-chevrolet-infotainment-system-guide/voice-recognition/using-voice-recognition/
most cars have daytime driving lights, but if you can work the radio, you can work the touch screen. if it is too difficult for you to do this, then pull of and hunt and peck away.
You can’t navigate a touch screen without looking at it. You can use multiple physical switches without ever looking at them. Location and feel are fabulous input assists. Distracted driving is bad but manufacturers increasingly force people to tend in that direction if they want to adjust anything with the screen controls.
But why? This is wholly unnecessary. This is a solution in search of a problem. The issue is taking your eyes off the road to turn on a critical safety feature. This is reminiscent of the German courts taking Tesla to task after a guy was in a crash after trying to turn on his windshield wipers on his touchscreen.
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-53666222
There is absolutely no need for this. Why force people to pull to the side of the road, creating a potential hazard for other drivers, particularly as that car then tries to merge back onto the road, instead of just maintaining the controls in a manner that allows people to continue to operate their vehicle with their eyes maintained on the road?
Look at how many times DT had to re-select the light option as the menu kept going away. Do you honestly think people are going to pull over? Or are they going to keep going down the road, continually flicking their eyes between the screen and the road as they attempt to do something as simple as turn on their bloody headlights?
It would be marginally better (but still bad) if the “headlight toolbar” were permanent.
Essential driving functions should never be on sub-menus.
No need. As mentioned in the article most other manufacturers do it the better way. So i will buy on of those. It is not like GM makes more than an average quality or looking pickup. Maybe i will try the new F150? These sell quite well. Or maybe an American made furrin truck. Better everything and longer lasting. But you go ahead with the thought the manufacturer is right and the customer shelling out $75,000 should shut up and give them their money.
Remember that there are some circumstances (in some climates, at least) where you need headlights, but auto lights won’t turn on.
Since they operate by sensing brightness, they will remain off in conditions such as dense localised fog on a sunny day, snow squalls, etc.
This….auto headlights piss me off because you have no idea how many newer cars I see driving around at dusk or dawn with their headlights bouncing between off and on and off and on for 20 minutes because it’s JUST bright enough to confuse the sensor whether it should be on or off…
Was it REALLY that hard to just flick a switch for on/off? Why is auto even necessary? Can we as human being not just PRESS A BUTTON anymore? Hell, if it comes to that, just make them ALWAYS on…
I have never understood the objection to headlights being on at all times. Headlights should just turn on and off with the car, or at least have that as an option.
I agree with this. My car has DRLs, so my headlights are on all the time anyway. Why not just turn on the taillights and cluster lights while we’re at it? Or just give me the option to turn off the cluster lights in case it bothers me in the day time? The only way for me to turn my headlights off is to pull the parking brake, which I think is a great way to handle it.
Do the headlights turn off with the car, or do they stay on when the vehicle is off? If they turn off when the vehicle is turned off, it would be easy enough to leave the headlights on at all times instead of using the automatic headlight option.
I have owned two vehicles where the headlights turned off when the car was turned off. I left the headlights on at all times since there was no reason not to. I’m not sure why more vehicles don’t have that feature. There are almost no situations where you need the headlights on with the vehicle off.
> There are almost no situations where you need the headlights on with the vehicle off
That’s a terrible take.
They must never go camping, for instance.
Make me glad I bought a ’22 Colorado, which has a manual light switch. True, I leave it on “Auto” but some states like New York and provinces like Ontario require lights on when the windshield wipers are running. I started putting them on when the wipers are running in all areas as a courtesy (other drivers can see me sooner).
In “Auto” mode the headlights will “automatically” come on while wipers are on. At least in both of my Colorados as well as multiple other newer vehicles.
Having had issues with all of my “modern” appliances in my home. I’m sad to see the trend to make vehicles “techy” continue while prices rise to unreal levels. The cars in our driveway are from 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2017 and I despise the 2017 one. I’ve toyed with the idea of selling it and buying an older car from out west that is not rusty. My modern car has worse sight lines, laggy functionality, a 7 speed transmission that never decides on a gear, pinging and binging at me with “reminders”: It’s cold out, watch for ice. You’ve been driving a while, how about taking a break?
Vehicles are not assets (financially), they are liabilities. So when the average car price has nearly reached my annual salary, that is madness. My children and their generation have very little interest in cars. Regulations and manufacturers need to wake up and make some base model cars again. Something that is affordable for a working person that simply functions and won’t need over the air updates in 5 years to keep working. A nice simple French city car that is cheap to insure, repair and use.
username checks out
My main concern here is what happens if you upgrade the head unit. It seems unlikely that aftermarket head units will have headlight controls.
I don’t think that anyone is upgrading head units in new cars. At least those with any touch screen infotainment system.
I would if I could, but I cannot w/o a custom wiring harness to relocate the factory HU to the glove box.
Some factory HUs are crap when new and in 10 years they won’t work or be incompatible with current tech.
Upgrading/swapping head units isn’t a thing anymore. That’s why manufacturers ditched the double-din standard. Now you have to swap head units by swapping cars.
Nobody upgrades head units anymore. All non-standard sized and control way too much of the vehicle to make it even remotely practical. I’m sure there’s some edge cases but for the most part upgrading the h/u is a non-issue for most.
It is just another manufacturer lock-in.
They change it often enough to avoid aftermarket substitutes.
No open standards or bring your own device.
You want current features get the new version of the vehicle it’s only $15,000 dollars more.
I had this fight a couple of years ago when working at of the large infotainment screen, touch loving OEMs. I can tell you that the OTA stuff is pure nonsense. Truth is that everyone is scared of being “non-Tesla” and thus far behind.
This actually goes so long that people forget everything we know about actual usability, and instead just want to be as “edgy” as possible. I mean, who would even use gloves in a Chevy Pickup?
It’s cheaper to build. The “edgy” bullshit is just marketing.
Eeeeeeeew.
I get that most people are probably going to keep it in “Auto” most of the time, but I hate it when common functions get buried on the touchscreen. Tunnels and other reasons to turn on your lights a bit early still exist in the year of our garbage 2023, folks.
I will submit that there are a plurality of people who *don’t* leave the headlight switch in the “auto” position. If they did, I wouldn’t see (or not see) the overwhelming number of Prisus (priori?) driving around at night w/o even a DRL. I guess it makes up for the Camry drivers that either have only the DRLs or the high beams are on… all. the. time. And don’t get me started on the F150s & 250s that have 4 headlights going all the time. I know on mine, you have to have the high beams on to light up all 4.
There are a surprising number of cars that don’t have an “auto” headlights setting. Every GM car I have had has had them since the 90s. But for some reason there are still some cars that don’t have them even though they seem like a no-brainer must-have feature.
Hardly a “must have”.
I have never found it to be a burden to operate my headlights.
My newest car has auto headlights, and they are wrong 40% of the time. I keep them in manual mode.
I’ve never owned a car with “auto” headlights. Granted, my cars are usually >10 years old, and often have unnecessary “features” that no longer work, like that dash light that advertises airbags. But my current ride is 2015 and lights are still manual. “Auto” would have to tie to the wipers (state law), and come on for those grey winter days when my car (which is the color of dirty asphalt, but grey to white cars wouldn’t be any better) would be otherwise invisible until it’s close. I guess I’d like other people to have lights that auto-dim, and that disable the lights (and ignition) entirely when the brodozer suspension is jacked up, though.
Eh, even my old 2003 Infiniti was pretty good about turning the headlights on in slightly dark situations, including foggy mornings. I’ve never driven a GM car with auto-lights, so I don’t know how good their sensors are, but I would think by now the industry should have it to a point where the car turns the lights on and off before the average driver would think to do it themselves.
But the fog light switch being touchscreen, that’s one of those things that you don’t want to be fumbling around for while driving.
And auto isn’t infallible. They’re getting really good, yes; however, I’ve seen cars in dense fog that failed to turn their headlights on. Yes, it was somewhat bright, but the fog made headlights a necessity. The driver in my anecdote was even flashed to turn his headlights on. I spoke with the driver and he said, “My headlights were in auto.” Anecdotal? Absolutely. But there’s still no reason to move a critical safety function to a location where the driver must take their eyes off the road.
The trend is so profitable for the manufacturers that I fear legislation is the only action. NHTSA may need to get involved.