BMW is pulling the curtain for its next iteration of iDrive, the software and infotainment platform that has served as the centerpiece of the automaker’s car experience for the past 20 years.
The eighth version of iDrive will live mainly on a new “curved” screen that starts behind the wheel and extends to the middle of the panel. This involves merging the 12.3-inch instrument panel and the central 14.9-inch infotainment screen into a single driver-facing unit. The screen size will vary, depending on the vehicle, but the screen will have the appearance of “floating”, said the automaker. The new iDrive will make its debut later this year in the new BMW iX electric SUV, as well as the BMW i4 electric sedan.
The brain of this car will also be a significant improvement over previous models, says BMW. The on-board computer will be able to process 20 to 30 times the data volume of previous models, or about twice the amount of data that was previously possible. This will allow for a greater fusion of the vehicle’s sensors, which will help to allow higher levels of autonomous steering.
According to BMW’s chief technology officer, Frank Weber, iDrive is a “big step” towards fully autonomous vehicles. He explained that iDrive was designed to support Level 2 and Level 3 autonomous steering systems.
“It is not an evolutionary step from what we had in [previous] generation, ”said Weber. “It’s a totally new system when it comes to sensors, computing, [and] the way it was developed. “
Advanced driver assistance systems, defined as Level 2 by the Society of Automotive Engineers, include lane maintenance, blind spot detection, automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. Most major car manufacturers include some version of advanced driver assistance in their vehicles today. Level 3 refers to highly automated steering, also called conditional automation, where the driver still needs to be able to take control of the vehicle when requested.
Other automakers were hit by the tier 3 driving promise. Audi, for example, said that its A8 sedan would come with a feature called Traffic Jam Pilot that, when active, would free human drivers from the need to pay attention during traffic at stops . But the appeal was pending approval by local authorities, and Traffic Jam Pilot remains inactive in most markets around the world. Audi has no plans to activate the feature, and Level 3 automation remains a swamp of legal, regulatory and commercial challenges.
Weber did not say when BMW would introduce level 3 automation and hinted that it would depend on accumulating more test miles on vehicles equipped with the new version of iDrive.
“No one currently can offer Tier 3 features at the start of production, because you need a lot of test miles,” he said. “And then you need a production vehicle, and then you run all your validation tests for Level 3.”
IDrive can be controlled with touch, voice activation or gesture control. There are three main layouts: Drive, in which drivers can use an “area that changes dynamically in the center of the information display to show individually selectable information”; Focus, “designed for extremely dynamic driving situations”; and Gallery, which minimizes the driving content “to free up as much space as possible for the widget content”.
There is a customization theme that permeates the new software update of the automaker. BMW’s Personal Intelligent Assistant, built on Microsoft’s Azure cloud system, will “fit the driver’s individual needs and routines,” says the company, making it “a central operating channel for human-machine interaction”.
The virtual assistant, who has been available in BMW cars for several years, will play the role of a “digital character who can engage in a natural dialogue with the driver and the front passenger – similar to a relationship between humans”. Expect some similarities with the Mercedes-Benz MBUX system or Volvo’s Google Assistant with Android technology.
Using ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, iDrive will be able to load the driver’s personal settings as soon as he starts approaching the vehicle, detecting his keychain or smartphone. BMW describes this as a “great moment of entry”, which includes geometric projections, lighted door handles and other lighting effects.
There will be three driving modes: sporty, personal and efficient. These control steering functions, such as engine acceleration, steering characteristics, regenerative braking and chassis configurations, as well as internal and external sounds. New modes can be added via remote software updates in the future.
Navigation, parking and EV charging information will be fully integrated into iDrive. BMW extends its personalization theme to mapping features with a new feature called “navigation learning”, in which the vehicle will learn and anticipate the destination that the driver is likely to follow, based on the driver’s personal identification. You want to save time, as well as a way to identify possible road hazards that can delay your trip.
The iDrive will support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wirelessly, the company said. For several years, BMW had the dubious distinction of being one of the few automakers to charge its customers an annual fee to mirror their smartphone screen on the car’s infotainment screen. BMW reversed that decision in 2019 and has since offered CarPlay and Android Auto to its customers free of charge.