Very few people ~~don't~~ buy sedans or hot hatches. We are a vocal minority here on Lemmy. Most people don't care much about driving dynamics, efficiency and other shit that enthusiasts care about. They want more interior space, better 'road presence' (whatever the fuck that means) and higher ground clearance.
An SUV shaped car is box shaped and so it has better headroom, better legroom and looks big with bigger top body and higher ground clearance. People flock to buy it.
It is a shame because SUVs don't come anywhere close to the driving dynamics and fun that sedans or hot hatches bring. To me, a sedan looks far more elegant than SUVs ever can while hot hatches look more sporty than SUVs ever can
Knobs and buttons are nowadays similar in cost to just plonking in a screen and putting all the controls there. That is why manufacturers are doing it not just because it 'feels premium'.