That's because backup camera law just passed in 2014, effective 2018. Which means that screens of some kind became mandatory in all cars.
Once you have to have a screen, might as well throw a few features in to make use of that expensive screen since it's just a couple bucks here or there to add things like an infotainment.
Now that people need the touchscreen anyway for the infotainment, might as well get rid of those expensive buttons and just do everything with a touchscreen menu.
As long as we have all that other stuff, might as well throw in a cell modem and get some $$$ from the insurance companies and data brokers to get some ongoing revenue from these cars we sold.