New BMW Panoramic iDrive revolutionises vehicle operation. Visionary technology package for the Neue Klasse celebrates world premiere at CES 2025. – AutoMart Canada

Munich/Las Vegas. The BMW Group presents the driving
and user experience of the future at the Consumer Electronics Show
(CES) 2025 in Las Vegas. BMW is providing the first opportunity to
experience the close-to-production version of the new BMW iDrive –
complete with its centrepiece, BMW Panoramic Vision – at the event.
The software underpinning it all is the new BMW Operating System X,
which acts as the intelligence hub behind the new display and
operating concept. The holistic system, with its modern, style-shaping
design, will be introduced in all new BMW models from the end of
2025.
“High tech meets highly intuitive operation – a quarter of
a century of pioneering work and technological leadership in operating
concepts has been channelled 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.” 

Four elements, one goal: consistent driver focus in
characteristic BMW style.
The new BMW iDrive merges
four central elements into a unique display and operating concept.

• BMW Panoramic Vision – a Head-Up Display concept
  newly developed by BMW for projecting content – reflects visible
  information from A-pillar to A-pillar onto a black printed surface
  in the lower section of the windscreen. This information is visible
  to all occupants.
  The most important driving information is
  projected directly into the driver’s line of sight on the left-hand
  side of the BMW Panoramic Vision (in left-hand-drive cars), above
  the steering wheel. The driver can personalise the content in the
  central and right-hand areas of the BMW Panoramic Vision via the
  central display. The integration of the BMW Panoramic Vision creates
  a 3D effect for the driver and passengers.
• The new and optional BMW 3D Head-Up Display above
  the BMW Panoramic Vision now shows integrated navigation and
  automated driving information directly in the driver’s field of
  vision. The content in the BMW Panoramic Vision and BMW 3D Head-Up
  Display is presented in a neatly coordinated way.
  The level of
  innovation achieved by the two Head-Up display technologies is
  underlined by several patent applications from the BMW Group
  resulting from the development of these projection technologies.
• On the central display with matrix backlight
  technology, the familiar, updated menu structure with QuickSelect
  ensures optimal operation of the functions and content by touch.
  Operation is very easy and convenient, as the free-cut-design
  display is located close to the steering wheel in an ergonomically
  ideal position. Selected content (widgets) can be carried over to
  the BMW Panoramic Vision with a swipe on the central display. As
  many as six widgets are possible and they can be arranged as desired
  in the BMW Panoramic Vision.
• The new multifunction steering wheel uses BMW’s
  shy-tech approach, whereby the relevant buttons are illuminated to
  highlight available functions. The steering wheel serves as the
  primary physical control, and its buttons provide active haptic
  feedback. The buttons have a well-judged, relief-like surface, which
  makes them extremely easy to locate and means the driver can press
  them without needing to divert their gaze away from the
  road.
  The arrangement of the buttons follows the familiar
  principle of driver assistance functions being positioned on the
  left-hand side of the steering wheel and content-controlling
  functions on the right-hand side.

The combination of these four elements re-interprets BMW’s customary
“hands on the wheel, eyes on the road” approach, with which BMW sets
the benchmark for driver focus and presents a unique form of
intuitive, use-friendly and ergonomically optimised operation. The BMW
Panoramic iDrive always gives the driver the right information in the
right place and at the right time. The system continues the approach
of using an optimal combination of analogue and digital controls
through the use of switches, buttons, touch and voice control. There
are haptic switches for the windscreen wipers, turn signal indicators,
exterior mirrors, volume control, gear selectors and window de-icers.
Other functions are optimised for operation using touch/voice control
or via the multifunction steering wheel, such as telephone functions,
media control systems, navigation, assisted driving, personalisation
of displays, selection of MyModes and much more besides.

Alongside data-driven learnings on the use of BMW Operating Systems
across the global fleet of now more than 22 million connected BMW
vehicles, the development phase of the new BMW Panoramic iDrive also
included numerous studies conducted in the BMW Group’s usability labs,
in which around 3,000 customers were involved. Every decision on the
various aspects of the operating logic is therefore based on data and
made in a structured manner. Here, the user experience’s extended
scope for personalisation has also been aligned with customer
preferences and requirements.

BMW Operating System X: intelligent, versatile, fit for the
future.
The new BMW Operating System X represents an
update of the latest operating system, as used in many BMW models, and
is a wholly in-house development from BMW. Like BMW Operating System
9, it is based on an Android Open Source Project (AOSP) software
stack. It offers even greater update and upgrade capability than the
predecessor system, making it both fit for the future and backwards
compatible. It is ready to accommodate additional functions and will
keep vehicles equipped with the new BMW Panoramic iDrive at the
cutting edge of technology over a long period of time.
“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 personalisation. The new BMW iDrive
with Operating System X demonstrates the potential of a
software-defined vehicle.”

The expanded intelligence of BMW Operating System X makes it possible
to combine the BMW Panoramic Vision, optional BMW 3D Head-Up Display,
central display and multifunction steering wheel with one another in
such a way that physical and digital experiences merge. For example,
an incoming call initially brings up a graphic on the BMW Panoramic
Vision. At the same time, a symbol on the relevant steering wheel
button that was not previously visible is illuminated in green,
indicating the option of taking the call by pressing the button or
rejecting it with a swipe on the right-hand side of the steering
wheel.
When a navigation destination is entered by touch control
or voice command, route guidance alerts are shown on the BMW 3D
Head-Up Display and further information on roads and junctions on the
BMW Panoramic Vision. A whole map overview can be shown on the central
display at any time for broader-scale orientation.

The personalisation of content reaches a new level with BMW Operating
System X. The displays in the Panoramic Vision can be adapted to
personal preferences. In addition, drivers now also have the option of
choosing their own settings for driving attributes such as response
and steering characteristics in the My Mode “Personal”. Moreover,
pictures chosen by the user can be uploaded as backgrounds for the
Central Display and the colourway of the Ambient Lighting and user
interface design adjusted to their particular preferences, creating an
even more personalised driving experience.

The BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant responds in the accustomed way
to the prompt “Hey BMW” or can be called up by pressing the respective
button on the multifunction steering wheel. The capabilities of the
BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant are being constantly enhanced and
will be taken to a whole new level for the Neue Klasse through the
integration of Large Language Models (LLM). The use of this technology
is focused initially on navigation, allowing the customer to give more
extensive spoken commands using natural language: for example: “Take
me to a charging station which is close to a food store.” At
technology partner Amazon’s booth at CES 2025, visitors can get an
initial impression of these capabilities using a beta version of this
build of the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant in a BMW X3. 

As with the current infotainment systems from BMW, the BMW
Intelligent Personal Assistant can – if the driver desires – make
suggestions proactively based on user behaviour. This intelligence
expands further with BMW Operating System X. In relevant situations,
the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant highlights driver assistance
systems, which are rarely used by the driver. As a kind of reminder,
the system suggests activating Sport Mode on suitable routes if the
driver has already activated Sport Mode independently beforehand. If
the driver doesn’t respond to or ignores these proactive suggestions
several times, the system learns and refrains from making suggestions
from then on. 

BMW Operating System X carries over the scope for integration of
third-party apps from the previous infotainment generation. As things
stand, the BMW ConnectedDrive Store offers more than 60 apps worldwide
for BMW Operating System 9. The selection will continue to grow, e.g.
with productivity apps such as video conferencing service Zoom.

Design and technology for a unique user and driving
experience.
The new BMW Panoramic iDrive is scalable and
will be integrated into all new BMW models – across all vehicle
segments and with all drive system technologies – from the end of 2025.

The driving experience takes centre stage. The driver should feel at
ease and have full control over the vehicle. This principle is
reflected in the design of the new BMW Panoramic iDrive. Particular
attention is paid to the details: the user interface has been designed
as intuitively and adaptively as possible to ensure seamless
interaction. The result is a holistic experience enhanced by a
harmonious combination of sound, light and innovative design. Every
journey becomes a special moment of connection between human and
vehicle.
“Technology and customer preferences are changing more
quickly than ever. The design of digital experiences and sound is
playing an ever more important role,” says Adrian van
Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design. “The new
BMW Panoramic iDrive not only makes our vehicles smarter and more
user-friendly, it also enables much more extensive personalisation,
which turns every new BMW into a car that is very much the user’s
own.”
Another element in the holistic experience provided by the
BMW Panoramic iDrive is the new HypersonX sound experience in the Neue
Klasse models. Developed by the BMW Group Sound Design Studio, it
comprises 43 sound signals and special driving sounds for Personal
Mode and Sport Mode. The multi-dimensional spectrum adapts the sounds
precisely to the driving situation at hand and, in so doing, creates
an emotional interaction between the driver and their BMW.