Underpinning the unique user experience are the new BMW Operating System 8, a new generation of displays, controls and software, and extremely powerful connectivity and data processing.
The new iDrive will be rolled out gradually across all vehicle classes, making its debut later this year in the BMW iX before also featuring in the BMW i4.
The new system enables the vehicle to actively engage in its relationship with those on board and, in so doing, serves as a digital, intelligent and proactive partner in any situation.
It also features a BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant that adjusts to the driver’s individual needs and routines, as well as the situation at hand, makes it – more than ever – a central operating channel of human-machine interaction.
The operating system is designed with a clear focus on dialogue-based interaction using natural language and touch operation via the BMW Curved Display.
This system recognises repetitive situations, learns from them and provides suggestions on how functions can be activated accordingly.
The new BMW Operating System 8 offers the same remote updating functionality as the previous System 7 with some important enhancements.
The Remote Software Upgrade will also offer the possibility of performing extremely complex and large software updates in areas such as driving assistance and partial automation.
BMW Operating System 8 will additionally allow customers to schedule the installation of a Remote Software Upgrade.
Meanwhile, the BMW Curved Display, which groups together the information display and control display, offers a futuristic interpretation of the traditional driver orientation in the cockpit design of BMW models.
The BMW Curved Display is angled clearly towards the driver to good ergonomic effect, making the intuitive touch control even more straightforward.
In this new BMW Curved Display, the screen areas of the 12.3-inch information display and 14.9-inch control display merge together into a single unit.
The “Act, Locate and Inform” principle, which ensures information is distributed clearly and screen redundancy is avoided, takes the signature BMW driver orientation of the cockpit design to a new level.
Pre-filtering ensures that only information relevant to the driving situation is presented to the driver – and always shown where they can absorb it as quickly and easily as possible.
The display also features strong and eye-catching graphics, modern colours, futuristic textures and forms, bright light and the interplay of reflections create an impressive and immersive visual appearance.
At the same time, the user interface has been optimised to present the right amount of information at all times in a simple and easy-to-understand way.
The information display in the driver’s central visual axis impresses both with its generously sized screen surface and its striking forms, dynamic light effects, strong depth of colour and modern colour worlds.
All of the displays have an extremely high graphic resolution of 200 ppi.
Voice control and the touch function of the BMW Curved Display were prioritised as usage options in the development of the new BMW iDrive.
The number of buttons and switches has been reduced by almost half while control clusters for relevant and frequently used basic functions are retained where users expect to find them.
The control panels on the centre console and instrument panel have an all-new, strikingly clear and minimalist design. The familiar iDrive Controller is the central control element on the centre console.
The Touch Controller, designed in an extremely smart glass-effect finish for the BMW iX, is encircled by a bezel painted in Gold Bronze.
Control of the air conditioning system will be incorporated into the BMW Curved Display in future, as customers should seldom need to adjust any of the climate control settings.
Meanwhile, the new "My Modes" feature combines up to ten different parameters in the vehicle which include the previous driving experience mode functions, such as drive system and transmission control, steering characteristics and chassis settings to ensure an all-encompassing user experience geared towards the driver’s personal preferences.
With BMW Operating System 8, the digital services for navigation, parking and charging are fully integrated into the cloud-based BMW Maps system in a user-friendly way.
One of the key functions here is “Learning Navigation”, meaning that BMW Maps uses the habits associated with the individual BMW ID as the basis for learning and anticipating the destination the driver is likely to head for next.
This saves drivers the trouble of entering the destination again for regular journeys, especially the daily commute to work, when they nevertheless wish to be alerted to delays or hazards along their route.
All of the learned destinations can be viewed from the vehicle and in the My BMW App, and deleted if desired.
The BMW Digital Key Plus will be first introduced for the all-electric BMW iX, continuing BMW's use of smartphones as digital vehicle keys since 2018.
While the full integration of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be available under the new BMW iDrive, the system will also enable extensive integration of the Alibaba and Tencent services for customers in China.
