Earlier this 12 months, at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, BMW unveiled its most superior infotainment system so far: the iDrive X. Now, at BMW Tech Days held lately on the BMW R&D Heart in Beijing, BMW took the chance to exhibit precisely how this international platform has been uniquely tailored to satisfy the particular wants and tastes of consumers in China.
It’s necessary to notice first that the iDrive X platform itself is common, constructed on shared international software program code that underpins BMW’s next-generation digital cockpit worldwide. However to ship an intuitive and immersive expertise actually related to Chinese language clients, BMW’s native user-interface and user-experience groups—based mostly primarily in Beijing, Shanghai, and Nanjing—have spent important time adapting and tailoring the platform. BMW refers internally to this extremely specialised design and growth unit because the “Skylab crew,” which stays the automaker’s largest full-stack interplay design group outdoors of Munich.
The “Visible Cone”
One of many standout design ideas revealed throughout BMW Tech Days was the “Visible Cone.” Interplay Design Director Daisy Xu described this strategy as fastidiously positioning the cockpit’s shows and controls so that they naturally fall inside the driver’s central visual view. People sometimes have about 120 levels of peripheral imaginative and prescient, Xu defined, “however the actually essential info—the knowledge drivers rely on most—is concentrated inside a a lot smaller 30-degree visible cone immediately forward. We designed the cockpit with this in thoughts, making a delicate however efficient approach to information a driver’s eyes naturally towards the highway.”
Key Options and Apps for Chinese language Clients
Past ergonomic enhancements, the Chinese language iDrive X expertise provides key options that immediately align with native buyer preferences. For instance, BMW’s analysis confirmed that Chinese language drivers sometimes favor extra immersive leisure options and simpler entry to infotainment capabilities throughout day by day commutes—usually at decrease speeds as a result of city congestion.
To accommodate this, BMW’s China crew built-in common native streaming providers corresponding to iQiyi immediately into the infotainment platform. In consequence, Chinese language drivers and passengers can now get pleasure from a cinema-like viewing expertise from the central infotainment display screen, particularly useful throughout prolonged intervals of stop-and-go or stationary site visitors frequent in China’s city environments.
In actual fact, BMW took an unconventional however considerate strategy by unlocking extra infotainment performance at decrease speeds, contrasting sharply with typical business apply of limiting options whereas driving slowly. UX designer Andrea Feng highlighted this level particularly: “As a substitute of locking out options at low speeds—which is commonly the case elsewhere—we selected to offer better performance when site visitors slows down or stops utterly. It is a direct response to how driving actually occurs in China’s cities.”
Moreover, BMW’s Skylab crew paid specific consideration to culturally-specific experiences. One function that resonated deeply with native media in the course of the occasion was BMW’s distinctive strategy to music playback. Recognizing the cultural significance of lyrics and poetic traditions in China, the brand new iDrive X prominently shows tune lyrics clearly on the panoramic display screen. As Feng defined, “In China, music appreciation goes past rhythm and melody. Lyrics usually carry deeper poetic meanings, so we made positive the lyrics are visually highlighted, enabling passengers to understand songs absolutely and emotionally.”
A Redesigned Steering Wheel
BMW additionally took important steps ahead in cockpit {hardware} design for its Neue Klasse fashions, beginning with a dramatically redesigned steering wheel. Not like standard BMW steering wheels, the brand new design options spokes at 6 and 12 o’clock positions. The steering was additionally fastidiously designed so drivers can comfortably grip it on the traditional 3 and 9 o’clock positions. The positioning of haptic buttons and surfaces ensures easy operation whereas holding the palms on the steering wheel, a transparent ergonomic enchancment meant to reinforce the general consumer expertise.
Moreover, the central infotainment display screen has been fastidiously repositioned, tilted exactly 17.5 levels towards the motive force. BMW made this adjustment after learning driver habits extensively, aiming to forestall essential info from being blocked by the steering wheel or driver’s arm. “We’ve angled the display screen particularly to take care of clear visibility,” BMW defined, “making certain essential controls and data all the time stay in direct sight.”
The Panoramic Show with HUD
Maybe essentially the most visually spectacular facet of the iDrive X is the expansive Panoramic show. Spanning from A-pillar to A-pillar, this cutting-edge function initiatives info immediately onto specialised nano-coated glass, reaching crystal-clear decision. BMW additionally addressed a standard problem—visibility by way of polarized sun shades—by incorporating optical enhancements that guarantee drivers carrying polarized lenses can clearly learn all projected info, eradicating a typical pain-point for a lot of drivers.
One factor was clear on the finish of the tech workshop. BMW’s considerate, locally-tailored variations of the brand new infotainment system underscore the model’s understanding of its Chinese language buyer base. And now greater than some other iDrive system earlier than, the brand new Working System X will ship a genuinely participating and culturally related expertise tailor-made to drivers in China.
We are going to be taught extra in regards to the iDrive X’s distinctive Chinese language-market variations on the upcoming Shanghai Auto Present this April, so keep tuned!
