Ferrari 296 GTB review

Materials and finish have never been an issue for Ferrari – this is a very well made and tactile car. But the cabin hasn’t taken as much of a step forward as the rest of the 296. At least not such a successful one.

In what way?

Much of the driving environment has been borrowed from the SF90, including the dash screen, haptic buttons and steering wheel. There’s more functions than ever, but it’s no easier to operate.

The thumbpad on the right of the steering wheel allows you to swipe and click between displays, but it’s hit-and-miss. More irritating still is when you plug your phone in and the entire display is taken over by Apple CarPlay. You can get away from that, but controlling music/nav and having the information you want at the same time is impossible.

No secondary screen means no division of functions – everything has to happen in front of the steering wheel. But when you have that display as you want with speed, gear and revs all large and clear, you’re good to go. And that’s kind of what the 296 forces you to do, to forget all the fripperies and niceties of modern cars and just focus on the driving. Maybe Ferrari made the infotainment awkward on purpose…

How's the rest of the cockpit?

The seats are supportive, but the padding is firm, the leather slippery and there ought to be more under-thigh support. They tip forward to provide access to the parcel shelf, and here (unlike in the SF90) there’s a generous front boot. For that reason alone it’s a much more useable car.