BMW has revealed how its future cars will look inside, along with a fresh update for its iDrive infotainment system.
First launched in the BMW 7 Series in 2001, iDrive initially attracted controversy for combining entertainment, information and navigation features into a single display screen.
The German manufacturer has updated iDrive and its operating system ever since, making it one of the benchmark media systems.
However, plans for the latest chapter in the development of iDrive are the most dramatic to date, completely revolutionising the interiors of new BMW models.
Projecting in widescreen
Revealed at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the new BMW iDrive system is designed to work with a Panoramic Vision display.
The latter sees the conventional instrument panel replaced by a head-up display that spans the entire width of the dashboard. Information is projected onto a black bar across the bottom of the car’s windscreen.
The most important data, such as speed, is shown on the section in the driver’s line of sight. However, the rest of Panoramic Vision can be customised to the driver’s preference.
As an additional option, BMW’s new 3D Head-Up Display can be projected further up the windscreen, putting navigation instructions directly in front of the driver.
(Some) buttons still included
BMW has retained a main central iDrive infotainment screen, which is placed closer to the steering wheel for easier access.
A new menu structure is said to be more logical to use, with ‘QuickSelect’ making it faster to find key functions. Widgets on the central touchscreen can be ‘swiped’ upwards so they are projected onto the Panoramic Vision display.
With no classic iDrive rotary controller, operating the infotainment system can be done through voice commands using BMW’s Intelligent Personal Assistant, or via a revised multi-function steering wheel.
Haptic feedback buttons feature on the wheel, with certain functions illuminating when they are available to use. Thankfully, some physical controls remain for the indicators, exterior mirrors and gear lever.
New tech for Neue Klasse
The final piece in the iDrive puzzle will be BMW’s new Operating System X – a development of the current version 9. A greater level of personalisation is included, from adjusting ambient lighting and display backgrounds to tweaking the steering settings.
BMW’s Intelligent Personal Assistant will make suggestions, such as when to engage Sport mode, but adapt and learn if the driver chooses to ignore these.
Panoramic iDrive will be integrated into all new BMWs from late 2025 onwards, but it will take centre-stage in the forthcoming Neue Klasse electric models.
“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,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, senior vice president for BMW Group Design.
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