BMW is completely overhauling its in-car user interface, beginning with the Neue Klasse sedan later this year and eventually extending to all models, as announced at CES 2025. While some elements may seem familiar, the major innovation is a widget-based system that allows users to personalize the layout, including on the car’s windshield.
However, there isn’t a physical display on the windshield. Instead, screens are integrated into the dashboard that project onto a specially treated section of the glass. This concept is an enhanced version of an idea seen in other vehicles, presented with a unique BMW touch.
“We realized that when exploring all the digital possibilities, people are only utilizing a small portion of what a vehicle can potentially offer,” BMW CTO Frank Weber shared with TechCrunch during an interview at the event. Weber mentioned that BMW aimed to broaden what drivers could accomplish with an in-car UI, but the design team also wanted to avoid overwhelming drivers with screens, unlike many of the company’s competitors. This led them to the windshield concept, which Weber noted has been in development internally at BMW for about ten years.
(The difference between “another screen” and “information reflected on the windshield” might seem trivial to many. However, Weber explained that positioning that part of the UI slightly above the dashboard, in the driver’s line of sight to the road, aligns with the company’s long-standing commitment to creating the “ultimate driving experience.”)
BMW has previously showcased Panoramic iDrive to the media, particularly at an event in April. This time, however, BMW unveiled the final production-ready version, according to Adrian Van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design.
BMW hasn’t eliminated all displays. A central touchscreen remains on the dashboard for drivers and passengers to access climate controls and other common settings, a 3D map, and a carousel of customizable widgets. Additionally, there is an optional head-up display in front of the driver that hovers above the panoramic UI.
The transition to this new UI—officially named Panoramic iDrive—also signifies the end of BMW’s polarizing, knob-based iDrive system, which has been around for over 20 years. Weber stated that most drivers rarely use the iDrive knob except for scrolling through lengthy contact lists or zooming in and out of maps. In China, he noted, drivers do not use it at all.
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The elimination of the iDrive knob, along with the emphasis on the central display and windshield, means that BMW drivers will interact with the Panoramic iDrive UI using a mix of haptic buttons on the steering wheel and voice commands. The latter will feature a new BMW digital assistant powered by a white label LLM.
“We want to provide more information right in front of you while driving, supporting the concept of hands on the wheel, eyes on the road,” Weber stated. “As a result, there will indeed be fewer physical buttons.”
The new UI will support third-party applications, and unlike some competitors, BMW will continue to support Apple CarPlay. “We manage everything because we aim for an interface that is closely linked to the car’s functions,” Van Hooydonk explained. “Of course, we will also provide options like Apple CarPlay and other systems in China, and they will be integrated as much as possible. However, we want to retain control over all car functions and customer data.”
