With the Vision Neue Klasse concepts, BMW previewed a revamped dashboard with even fewer buttons. The minimalist approach was taken even further as the sedan and SUV did away with the instrument cluster. Instead, the pair of electric vehicles featured a large central touchscreen and a wide head-up display at the base of the windshield.
The first production model to get iDrive X will be next year’s iX3 on the Neue Klasse platform. An i3 sedan will follow in 2026. Four other EVs on the NK architecture are coming by 2028, with an i3 Touring and iX4 likely planned. However, vehicles powered by combustion engines will also receive the next-gen infotainment. CLAR-based models like the 7 Series and 5 Series are obvious candidates but it looks as though the tech will trickle down to compact cars.
According to a well-known BMW insider from the Bimmer Post forums, three front-wheel-drive-based models will get iDrive X in 2027. The X1, X2, and 2 Series Active Tourer are reportedly switching to the new layout and user interface roughly three years from now. That could coincide with a Life Cycle Impulse for these cheaper models.
An optional front passenger screen is allegedly coming along with the revamped infotainment. However, it’s too soon to say whether these lower-tier BMWs will have it. At the beginning of the month, we reported that it could be offered on the 5 Series from 2027, presumably with the LCI model.
Cars with iDrive X will do away with the rotary knob. The traditional dial to control the infotainment is already starting to disappear since the X1, X2, and 2 Series Active Tourer no longer have it. In addition, it’ll be absent from the next-gen 1 Series and 2 Series Gran Coupe arriving later in 2024. The supplementary method to access the functions will be missed. However, BMW has told us the iDrive X will be fully controllable via the buttons on the steering wheel.
The Panoramic Vision head-up display is likely to be offered across the range since it indirectly replaces the driver’s display. On the Vision Neue Klasse concepts, the HUD stretched from one pillar to another, offering customizable subsets of information. The steering wheel’s right spoke will allow the driver to tweak the high-tech HUD.
It seems tomorrow’s BMW will have a simplified interior with supersized screens and voice controls replacing physical buttons. That seems to be the direction most automakers are heading to, following Tesla’s “less is more” approach.
Source: Bimmer Post