Next-Gen BMW iDrive Brings A Whole Lot Of Screen

BMW has finally unveiled the production version of its much anticipated Neue Klasse EV. No, wait, hang on a second. BMW has finally unveiled a bit of the production version of its much anticipated Neue Klasse EV.

Specifically, it’s the interior. More specifically, it’s the dashboard and steering wheel, front and centre of which is the tenth iteration of the brand’s iDrive operating system. The new setup will make its way into all newly-introduced BMWs soon, starting with the first Neue Klasse EV towards the end of 2025 – set to be a 3 Series-sized saloon resembling 2023’s Vision Neue Klasse concept.

The new system is split into four distinct parts. Firstly, there’s a black surface stretching across the bottom of the windscreen onto which key information is projected. BMW calls it Panoramic Vision, and while the bit directly ahead of the driver will be restricted to “the most important driving information” – presumably stuff like speed and charge/fuel levels – the rest of it will be personalisable.

Also straight ahead of the driver is a 3D Head-Up Display, mainly handling navigation as well as some additional driving info. It’s coordinated with the Panoramic Vision display, and the interplay of the two is something BMW apparently has several patent applications in relation to.

The central display is something we’re plenty familiar with in modern cars – a big ol’ touchscreen, with no buttons in evidence. Uh-oh. This is where all the car’s apps will be accessible, and up to six of these at a time can also display content on the Panoramic Vision display.

Finally, there’s a revolutionary new item in front of the driver called a ‘steering wheel’. This is a wheel that steers the car. Okay, it also has various buttons on it. These, rather concerningly, are haptic rather than proper physical clicky buttons and anyone who’s experienced Volkswagen’s attempt at this will know how utterly rubbish it can be. Who knows, maybe BMW will do it better.

Other elements include an updated version of BMW’s Intelligent Personal Assistant, which responds to the rather curt prompt of ‘Hey BMW’ (please don’t speak to a real personal assistant like this), and new driving sounds for EVs that BMW calls HypersonX. No, we’re not sure how to pronounce that either.

Frankly, we’re a little concerned about the way BMW seems to be going even more all-in on screens and haptics when other manufacturers like Hyundai are actively moving back towards proper buttons because – surprise, surprise – having to jab at a touchscreen when you’re driving is really distracting. Still, some of these systems are better set up than others, so maybe we’ll be pleasantly surprised.