Following the debut of the Mercedes-Benz MBUX Hyperscreen, BMW announces plans to showcase its own state-of-the-art infotainment system at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. The company promises the latest iteration of its iDrive software “to move driver-vehicle interaction into a new digital and intelligent era”. The system makes its debut in the BMW iX electric crossover.
As it is becoming more and more common, there are a couple of screens that control the instruments and infotainment functions, respectively. The main controls are on the center console.
10 Photos
Unfortunately, BMW is still being very cautious about what the new iDrive iteration can do. The company’s teaser remains rather vague, calling the technology “a paradigm shift, as the number of functions available in a car and its complexity continue along a constant upward curve”.
To achieve this, the new version of iDrive supports vehicle-to-vehicle communication so you can get information from other BMW vehicles to learn more about the world to come. The sensors are also improved so that the technician can better analyze the surroundings. The result is an even better ability to assist in driving and parking.
This is just a preview of the new version of iDrive. The full debut comes at the end of the year. The company’s bizarre promotional film embedded above shows a little bit of what makes the new technology special.
The video features a 2001 BMW 7 Series, which marks the introduction of the iDrive, talking to an iX. In the clip, the sedan takes on the role of a grumpy old man who initially doesn’t have time for the cutting edge technology of the new EV. The two vehicles discuss the merits of each system before finally becoming friends.
The iX is expected to hit stores in some places before the end of the year. The electric crossover has two electric motors making a total of more than 500 horsepower (375 kilowatts) and allowing an acceleration of 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in less than 5.0 seconds. The range of the WLTP should be about 373 miles (600 kilometers).