Can BMW’s Neue Panoramic iDrive Make a Huge Infotainment Leap Forward?
The remade in-cabin experience is highlighted by the new Panoramic Vision head-up display, which extends from side to side.
BMW is steering headlong into the software-defined vehicle era with the coming introduction of a completely revamped technology suite that will redefine its cabins. Set to launch by the end of 2025, BMW’s all-new iDrive, powered by its latest Operating System X tech backbone, is poised to deliver a cutting-edge, immersive experience packed with 3D graphics and other innovations developed to dazzle even the most discerning enthusiasts.
The new iDrive, also known as Panoramic iDrive, has four standout features. Leading the charge is BMW’s "Panoramic Vision," a head-up display that stretches across the cabin from A-pillar to A-pillar, enveloping the driver and passengers in a futuristic way. For the driver, BMW says its optional, dynamic 3D head-up display will provide unparalleled depth and clarity. The centerpiece of the cabin is a sprawling 17.9-inch touchscreen, combining form and function. Rounding out the key elements of the package is a reimagined steering wheel equipped with multifunction, haptic button controls.
Detailing Everything That’s Neue
BMW's Panoramic Vision has been developed to take head-up displays to a new visual dimension. While the displays are themselves familiar technology, the Panoramic Vision experience stretches across the entire lower portion of the windscreen, a novel approach we haven’t seen until now. Additionally, the graphics are projected onto a specially printed black surface, ensuring a crisp, unobstructed view for both driver and passengers. This setup is made possible in part by significantly lowering the dashboard, creating space for the display to span the full width of the cabin while maintaining a sleek, low-profile height.
Drivers can customize their Panoramic Vision experience with up to six widgets. Crucial driving information is projected directly into the driver’s line of sight above the steering wheel, ensuring easy access and minimizing distraction. Secondary widgets—such as weather updates or in-depth navigation details—can be tailored to appear on the central and right sections of the display.
The second head-up display offers 3D graphics for the driver. Functioning much like today’s head-up displays, this system projects essential information such as turn-by-turn navigation and autonomous driving details directly within the driver’s view. It also works with Panoramic Vision to deliver an integrated experience. It's the 3D effect that takes things up a notch, a setup that BMW says offers added depth and clarity and enhances the driving experience without overwhelming the visual field.
At the heart of it lies BMW’s new 17.9-inch central display, which acts as the command hub for the next iteration of iDrive powered by Operating System X. The screen has been developed to provide intuitive control over Panoramic Vision’s widgets, navigation, and more. The display is slightly turned to face the driver and has been placed so the driver doesn’t have to stretch to reach its furthest point.
Rounding out the system is BMW’s new steering wheel featuring multifunction buttons. These buttons illuminate only when needed and provide haptic feedback for a tactile, responsive feel. For example, when a call comes in via a paired phone, a button to answer lights up.
Virtually Testing Out the New iDrive
During an embargoed presentation ahead of BMW’s CES press conference, we got a chance to see the new Panoramic iDrive in action. While we couldn’t experience it firsthand, we were able to use virtual reality googles to get a digital feel for it. We thought the information in both the Panoramic Vision and 3D head-up were displayed in a clear way, with cool graphics and turn-by-turn directions. Some people may think there’s too much going on, though at first glance Panoramic Vision looks to be a great addition similar in scope to the setup in the new Lincoln Nautilus. The 3D head-up display, however, might not be to everyone’s liking, as it can be a bit of an information overload.
An evolution of the automaker’s Operating System 9, BMW developers designed its Operating System X tech stack in-house, and it’s underpinned by Android’s Open-Source Project software. According to BMW, the new system allows for greater over-the-air updates than before and will be able to accommodate additional functions in the future. Voice controls will also take a more important role than in prior BMWs, allowing for more natural language commands after the driver says “Hey, BMW.” Other notable features include BMW’s Intelligent Personal Assistant, which can for example make suggestions based on road conditions, such as asking to turn on Sport mode when the road gets twisty. System users will also be able to perform customizable functions, including uploading their own photos to use as backgrounds, with the ambient lighting correspondingly adjusting to match the photo’s color.
BMW says its revamped Panoramic iDrive will arrive at the end of 2025, making its debut in the first of its Neue Klasse generation of electric-powered SUVs. (The automaker is investing heavily in South Carolina to develop a battery plant and EVs.) But the system won’t be strictly limited to BMW’s coming electric vehicles; it will subsequently expand across all its vehicle segments and into gas-powered BMW models, as well.
While our first digital taste of what BMW has planned for the future of its in-cabin experience was impressive, we look forward to testing the new Panoramic iDrive and the System X tech it’s based upon where it really matters—out on the open road and in the real world.
Miguel Cortina is Mexico Editor at MotorTrend, covering the auto industry in the U.S. and south of the border. He joined MotorTrend in January 2015 and is an avid automotive enthusiast who enjoys playing golf, surfing, and running in his free time.
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