BMW Presents Panoramic iDrive With BMW Operating System X At CES 2025

The 2025 Consumer Electronics Show kicked off today in Las Vegas, Nevada, and BMW has taken the opportunity to show off the next generation of its in-house-developed iDrive system. This is based on the system previewed by the color-changing i Vision Dee concept car in 2023, and we’ve seen it evolve further since then in the subsequent Vision Neue Klasse Concept and its X3-shaped crossover concept sibling.

What we’re seeing here is a preview of what will appear in all BMW models from the end of this year, regardless of the powertrain beneath the car. In other words, this is the finished product, and it’s going to transform how Bimmer fanatics interact with their cars. BMW says it’s a big step up from Operating System 9, which launched in the BMW X1 in late 2023.

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BMW

BMW is a German luxury car and motorbike manufacturer and current owner of Mini, Rolls-Royce, and Alpina. With roots dating back to 1913 as Rapp Motorenwerke, it officially became Bayerische Motoren Werke in 1922 as a manufacturer of aircraft engines. BMW’s first car was built in 1928 when it built the Austin 7 under license from Dixi, which was called the BMW 3/15. BMW grew into a manufacturer of premium and luxury automobiles, launching iconic nameplates like the 3 Series, 5 Series, and 7 Series, and is today known as one of the leading luxury automakers in the world, while the BMW M division is hailed as a leading manufacturer of performance cars.

Founded

1916

Founder

Karl Rapp

Headquarters

Munich, Germany

Owned By

Publicly Traded

Current CEO

Oliver Zipse

Four Elements Combine To Create A New Interface

BMW is preparing to launch the most expensive project in its history with the Neue Klasse architecture, and before that happens, it wants customers to be prepared for the new technological advances that will come with it, hence the rollout of this new system to all models. BMW Panoramic iDrive is segmented into four parts, each of which has been designed to complement the other:

• BMW Panoramic Vision
• BMW 3D Head-Up Display
• QuickSelect central display
• Multifunction steering wheel

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BMW Panoramic Vision

BMW Panoramic Vision is similar to a head-up display in that it projects information onto the windshield, but instead of images appearing on the transparent screen, these appear on a black surface on the windshield, where the screen meets the dashboard. This stretches from one A-pillar to the other, with the information visible to all occupants. However, “the most important driving information” is projected ahead of the driver, directly in their line of sight. The central and passenger-side areas of the Panoramic Vision system can be personalized, too.

BMW 3D Head-Up Display

This is a more traditional idea, but it’s been refined too. Naturally, the HUD can only be seen by the driver. This handles navigation and automated driving information, allowing the Panoramic Vision display to handle features that don’t need to be continually stared at, such as remaining range, current speed, and distance to destination.

Central Display

The new screen comes with matrix backlight technology and QuickSelect, which has already made its way to contemporary Bimmers. This allows the driver to select their own widgets in a vertical arrangement on the side of the screen closest to the steering wheel, enhancing ergonomics. What’s new here is that some widgets can be carried over to the Panoramic Vision display by swiping up from the touchscreen. Up to six widgets can be sent to the end-to-end strip and can be rearranged in any order.

Multifunction Steering Wheel

There’s good news and bad news here. The bad news is that the buttons on the steering wheel are of the haptic feedback type. The good news is that BMW says they “have a well-judged, relief-like surface.” In other words, the buttons protrude slightly. BMW says this makes them easy to locate without the driver diverting their gaze from the road, and relevant buttons are illuminated to highlight available functions. We imagine that in the future, such a feature will be used for a push-to-pass function (BMW has patented just such a thing), but there are more practical applications.

How It All Works Together

As we mentioned at the outset, each system is meant to work hand-in-hand with the next. If the driver is receiving an incoming call, a graphic first appears on the Panoramic Vision strip, while at the same time, a symbol on the relevant steering wheel button that was previously not visible is now illuminated in green. Press the button and the call is answered, or swipe to decline. For navigation, selecting a destination via touch or voice control makes the car show route guidance alerts in the 3D Head-Up Display with further info on roads and junctions shown on the Panoramic Vision system. Want to see an overview of the whole map? The central display has you covered. As for the steering wheel, controls on the left side handle driving functions (like cruise control) while those on the right handle media and its associated systems (like volume control).

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Unfortunately, physical buttons and switches don’t seem to be a prominent feature of tomorrow’s BMWs as in-car media and infotainment systems continue to evolve. Instead, the windshield wipers, turn signal indicators, exterior mirrors, gear selectors, window defrosters, and volume controls are all handled by these haptic switches, with other functions activated either by touch on the central display or by voice. Speaking of, the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant is said to now allow for more natural conversation, with phrases like “Take me to a charging station which is close to a food store” now able to be processed. All of this is thanks to Operating System X, the replacement for today’s OS9.

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Both systems were based on an Android Open Source Project software stack, which means it can be continually upgraded and added to with more features and apps. As an added bonus, Neue Klasse vehicles will get a new HypersonX sound experience that uses 43 sound signals and special driving sounds for Personal and Sport modes. If you’re at CES 2025, stop by Amazon’s booth to see a beta version of BMW’s voice control system at work in an X3 crossover.