BMW has taken centre stage (quite literally… you’ll see) in CES 2025 with the upcoming version of their infotainment system, to be called “BMW Panoramic iDrive”. The large physical mock-up presented in BMW’s keynote is to be made available for all new BMW car releases starting from the end of 2025, starting with the Neue Klasse models.
The company says that the unit shown off at CES 2025 is a “close-to-production” version, and if the layout of the interior looks extremely familiar to you, that’s because it is! Specifically, it is the same physical button-less layout showcased in the Vision Neue Klasse concept during CES 2023.
The layout on the new system carries over from the 2023 concept, and consists of four main parts: the Panoramic Vision head-up display unit that stretches from one end of the dashboard to the other, the central touchscreen, a new (and optional) 3D head-up display, and the new multifunction steering wheel.
Headlining the system is, of course, the Panoramic Vision screen mwhich displays information such as current speed, outside weather conditions, climate controls, and more right underneath windscreen for all occupants.
The look and feel of the Panoramic Vision can be fully customised by the driver using personal mode with wallpapers and adjustable colour themes to suit the preferences and personality of the driver.
The optional add-on of the 3D Head-Up Display sits above the Panoramic Vision just on top of the dashboard. Crucial information such as navigation and automated driving is displayed on the windshield within the driver’s field of view.
The Central Display, meanwhile, breaks away from the conventional tablet-shaped design and instead opts for a rhombus-like shape using BMW’s matrix backlight technology. Widgets and other intuitive infotainment controls can be used to personalise the Panoramic Drive information.
BMW says that the hardware used for the Central Display is wholly made in-house, and is powered by ‘Operating System X’. The system fully is based on BMW Operating System 9 derived from the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) software stack.
The wild four-spoke steering wheel design has similar intuitive touch controls there too. The multifunction steering wheel features illuminated buttons that only show the needed functions.
Haptic feedback is also present to let the driver identify which buttons are which without needing to look away from the road.
Of course, all of these features have to be given the AI treatment. The BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant is fully integrated into Panoramic iDrive with a Large Language Model (LLM) to make the dialogue feel natural when used to set travel destination routes or even switching different driving modes like Sport, Efficient, and Silent.
