The job of the cockpit designer is to 1) minimize the workload on the pilot/driver while providing 2) maximum practical ability to control the vehicle. Period.
Ergonomic design to control the vehicle. Period. End of story. Style shouldn't even be in the top 10 considerations.
ALL of this touchscreen, flattening and making the buttons the same, making unique configurations may be wonderful for the mental masturbation of the designers, but it is not even in the same profession as vehicle design.
The pilot/driver should be able to make maximal use of prior knowledge (i.e., ways of doing things that are standard, either by law or by previous consensus), and make maximal use tactile and auditory feedback (e.g., buttons and dials with a familiar and distinct feeling and positive feedback) to minimize the need to direct vision anywhere other than out the windshield and mirrors.
Well-designed display controls can be fantastic - - - - IF AND ONLY IF - the work is put into the design to minimize pilot/driver workload. Anything requiring a menu structure as we use on desktop machines is potentially deadly. Just because we are familiar with menu structures does not mean that they can be operated while negotiating traffic in the rain hurtling down the road at 30 meters per second. Any designer or manager who thinks that is reasonable or acceptable is incompetent. (obvious exception here is extensive setup operations to be done whilst parked)
And, if you are going to put in a touchscreen that does have these characteristics, then at least allow the passenger to use it whilst in motion - you have the damn seat sensor data on the CAN bus for the airbag, so use it for the UI. I understand not wanting to be liable for crashing someone with your incompetent UI, but impairing use of the car & navigation just makes it worse
Which brings us back to: just do the hard and expensive work of properly designing the cockpit UI. And spend the extra few bucks for good knobs and buttons. I'll happily pay $1000 more for something that works, is a pleasure to use, and isn't trying to make me fight it and risk my life every time I use it for the designer's ego and/or the manager's budget.