iDrive
BMW has long been known as the “Ultimate Driving Machine,” delivering vehicles that combine luxury and performance and offer stellar driving dynamics. But there’s more to a BMW than how it drives – the German company has made impressive technology innovations over the years. Among those was all-new vehicle infotainment interaction system called iDrive that was introduced on the 2001 7 Series. That system was groundbreaking at the time, but now, almost 25 years later, BMW is ready to launch an all-new advanced system called Panoramic iDrive.

High Tech
“High tech meets highly intuitive operation – a quarter of a century of pioneering work and technological leadership in operating concepts has been channeled into the new BMW Panoramic iDrive,” says Frank Weber, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Development. “The foundations are provided by the new BMW Operating System X. With this advance, we are giving one of the world’s best and most comprehensive infotainment systems even greater capability and once again setting the industry benchmark in multimodal interaction. Starting with the first series-produced Neue Klasse model at the end of this year, the new BMW Panoramic iDrive will form an integral part of all future BMW models.”

Panoramic Display
The most noticeable advancement of this new system is what gives it its name – the panoramic display that spans the base of the windshield for all in the car to see it. Driver information is projected on the left, while content displayed in the central and right sections is easily configurable to show relevant information. An additional 3D head-up display will be projected directly in the driver’s field of vision, building on the panoramic display.

Center Display
While the panoramic screen displays relevant information about vehicle operations and surroundings, the primary interface takes place on a large touchscreen display in the center of the dashboard. Featuring a matrix backlight technology for a clear presentation, the center display is positioned close to the driver for quick and easy access. The driver can easily choose up to six content widgets via the center screen to move to the panoramic display.

New Steering Wheel
The final piece of this new immersive system is the redesigned steering wheel, which features what BMW refers to as “shy tech,” meaning that controls only appear when needed. For example, when a call comes in, the driver is notified in the panoramic display while the button for taking the call lights up in green on the wheel. Buttons on the steering wheel are the only remaining physical controls, and they feature a haptic functionality and raised surface, so they are easy to locate by touch. Driver assistance controls are on the left side of the wheel, while information and entertainment controls are on the right.

Personal Assistant
The system is further enhanced by BMW’s Intelligent Personal Assistant, which is already one of the best natural voice interfaces on the market. The company says it is continuing to strengthen the system to be more in tune with the type of requests a driver might make, like finding a charging station near a coffee shop.

Operating System X
Blending the functionality of the displays and controls is made possible with BMW Operating System X, the latest update to the company’s in-house developed Android Open Source operating system. “The overall concept of the new BMW Panoramic iDrive with Operating System X has been enabled by a large technological leap forward,” says Stephan Durach, Senior Vice President Connected Company BMW Group. “It offers intuitive operation, emotionally engaging experiences, and specific personalization. The new BMW iDrive with Operating System X demonstrates the potential of a software-defined vehicle.”

Coming Later This Year
The idea behind this new system is to make functionality seamless and intuitive, allowing the driver to keep hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. The new Panoramic iDrive will be available on all new BMWs starting at the end of 2025 with the introduction of the iX3. This electric compact crossover will be the first example of the innovative Neue Klasse electric vehicle platform.

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