BMW flaunts new iDrive system to debut later this year

When BMW unveiled their next-generation all-electric flagship, the iX, late last year, they gave a glimpse of a new system that will be in front of the driver. Now, they’re putting the focus on the new iDrive system that will eventually be the new standard in their lineup. 

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The most significant change is the unity of the two screens and its floating design on the dashboard. They refer to it as the ‘BMW Curved Display’ and it consists of a 12.3-inch information display and extends to the 14.9-inch control display. Utilization is geared towards voice and touch control, with the amount of switches reduced by almost half. 

Customer experience is at the heart of the new iDrive system and with that in mind, BMW created the BMW ID to further enhance customization for the driver. In the future, they can securely store more information in their ID and be able to transfer their settings in between BMW vehicles where applicable. 

Powering the new screen is the BMW Operating System 8 that is very modern but retains an easy to understand way of presenting information. It has three main layouts that gives the drivers options on what cluster they want to see. Drive allows the driver to select what information they want to see on the center of the screen, a Focus mode for ‘dynamic driving situations’ and a Gallery mode that prioritises widgets, maps, or the driver assistance information. 

Apart from the layouts, there’s also ‘Modes’ that controls different parameters of the vehicle itself such as drive system and transmission control, steering characteristics and chassis settings among others. The new iDrive system will come with three standard modes named Efficient, Sport, and Personal but more will be added later on.

Other improvements include a new BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant that now has a ‘face’ and knows who’s talking to it and will appear on the relevant screen closest to the speaker. It will also learn new functions as the iDrive system continues to develop. There’s also ‘Great Entrance Moments’ that greets the driver when they step into the vehicle until they start their journey. 

Apart from these tech advances, the new iDrive system is still friendly to third-party apps. It still has seamless connection to smartphones via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

The new BMW iDrive will debut later this year in the all-electric iX and the i4 all-electric sedan.