The all-electric BMW iX showcases the latest development of the BMW iDrive system, intended to transport driver-vehicle interaction into a new digital and intelligent era.
Making its debut in the upcoming BMW iX Sports Vehicle (SAV), the enhanced iDrive system is designed to improve the dialogue between the user and their vehicle, and adapt multiple functions to the driver’s needs.
The digital system has developed rapidly since it was first launched in 2001, but this latest version offers greater integration between the car’s digital and analogue technologies than ever before.
Using optimized sensors, cloud-based services and artificial intelligence, the system ensures that the vehicle has access to even more information than the driver, allowing it to make accurate predictions for each trip.
Its advanced operating system is combined with a host of “tech-shy” features including power door locks, hidden speakers and heated surfaces.
This means that the interior design could be kept minimalist, with very few control buttons.
The updated BMW iDrive works in part through the BMW Curved Display, a new addition to the car’s interior that follows the company’s latest design language.
This screen is ergonomically tilted towards the driver, displays information relevant to the current driving situation and offers intuitive touch controls.
Voice control via the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant has also been improved functionally and visually, to create a natural dialogue with the driver and front passenger.
The new BMW iDrive system is expected to set a benchmark for the future of the display and operating system, using “ingenious and unexpected” graphical interfaces to create a virtual character that the vehicle owner feels they can trust.
The BMW iX creates a unique user experience for the driver titled Great Entry Moments. Using ultra-wideband (UWB) radio technology to calculate the distance between the car and a key or smartphone, the vehicle begins a wake-up sequence and a choreographed lighting display once the driver approaches within three meters.
BMW ID offers further personalization of the driving experience, securely storing users’ preferred settings and allowing them to be transferred between vehicles.
The latest BMW iDrive runs on the new BMW Operating System 8 platform, which receives remote software updates as the technology is developed and refined.
Its many other features include automated climate control, the ability to predict where parking spaces may be available at a destination, and receive and display hazard warnings from other BMW vehicles.
The new iDrive will be gradually rolled out across all of the company’s vehicle classes, making its debut in the BMW iX before also appearing in the BMW i4.
The BMW iX is scheduled to enter production during the second half of 2021, heralding “a new era in mobility” according to the brand.
Video: BMW iX presents advanced digital interface designed with gaming technology
