BMW's next-gen Panoramic iDrive and Operating System X are big hits with me

BMW’s new Panaoramic iDrive infotainment system, which runs on the similarly fresh Operating System X, has just been unveiled at CES 2025. It’s part of a new tech bundle that’ll be key to all new BMW models by the end of 2025, offering owners a dazzling array of digital functionality.

Panoramic iDrive breaks down into four core parts: the Panoramic Vision dashboard, 3D head-up display, central touchscreen, and a tasty multifunction steering wheel. It gives both drivers and passengers more to look at and interact with, as well as being very easy on the eyes.

After a VR demo, I’m convinced the way it makes excellent use of the previously unused area at the foot of the windscreen will be a revelation once it hits the road.

Four elements together

A head-up display is nothing new, but BMW has reimagined it, so the system now projects information from one side of the windscreen to the other. Sandwiched in-between the A-pillars is a whole new area of graphics, which are projected on to a black surface printed on the glass.

Cleverly, while everyone in the car can see this display, only information specific to the person behind the wheel can be seen on the driver’s side of the vehicle. The driver can also personalise the content shown by fine-tuning their options from a selection of widgets that are contained within the central touchscreen display. I have to say that the graphics and the way the information is presented looks crisp, clear and really engaging.

Better on-screen information

There’s also an optional 3D head-up display, which sits above and can be used as a supplement to the lower display. This can, for example, give the driver navigational guidance, traffic updates and automated driving information. Far from being busy and distracting, the system I tried during a VR demo proved to be really effective as I cruised along a virtual Pacific Coast Highway 1-like road.

Adjusting the features and functions is largely done via the central display, which features a neatly-angled design that leans across towards the driver. BMW experts explained that this will be angled correctly for right-hand and left-hand drive vehicles, which underlines the typical BMW attention to detail we all know and love. It would obviously have been cheaper to not bother, but they’ve done it all the same.

Trying the system for myself, I was able to pick from an array of on-screen widgets with a quick and simple swipe of my fingertip. It’s currently possible to add up to six of these widgets and arrange them along the bottom of the windscreen depending on personal preference. It’s all very slick.

Driving the process

The new multifunction steering wheel, meanwhile, compliments the arrangement to great effect. While some manufacturers appear to be steering (no pun intended) away from having too many buttons on the wheel, BMW has pulled a neat trick by creating a new layout that distils the controls really logically.

Using one-touch simplicity, the new BMW system features illuminated buttons to show when specific features and functionality are available. I found the great thing about these is that, despite it looking like there’s a lot of surface area to cover, they fall very easily to your fingertips. That’s obviously good news for preventing driver distraction.

The more I tried it during the demo the easier it got, with driver assistance functions sitting on the left-hand side and content control functions located on the right. Pulling it all together into one cohesive package means that the new system should prove to be a real boon, both for drivers and passengers too.

I especially liked the way that the new BMW system made good use of a combination of control options, including haptic switches for the likes of windscreen wipers, indicators, door mirrors and volume controls, but there’s also a good mix of touch and voice control options on the menu. Plus, there’s the ability to personalise everything using BMW’s MyModes.

Software is key

Lying behind all this visual magic and improved funtionality is the BMW Operating System X, which despite being bespoke and developed in-house, is based on Android Open Source Project (AOSP).

It’s the end result of a lot of research, where the German carmaker capitalised on its mountains of user data thanks to there being over 22 million BMW connected vehicles in circulation. BMW engineers also polled around 3,000 customers during their usability lab studies to help gauge opinion on features and functionality.

A lot of the options should mean it’ll be much easier to tweak and fine-tune driver features and functions on the go, including driving attributes and steering characteristics. Similarly, the BMW Operating System X will also offer lots of cosmetic options too. For example, using MyMode, owners can customise the look and feel of the displays or adjust ambient lighting too on the go.

Personalised driving experience

There’s also a fresh new BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, which delivers a more tailored experience to drivers based on their own behaviour. And, with BMW being well-known for giving us the ultimate driving machine, this intelligent help can even figure out if you’ve got a preferred route and suggest activating Sport Mode at the relevant point of a journey. Just in case you’ve forgotten to do it yourself.

Thankfully, if the advice isn’t needed the new system is clever enough to not keep hassling you about suggestions that have been overlooked. Lookout too for a growing range of apps to supplement the system, which BMW aims to bulk out by boosting its current selection of over 60 during the course of the year and beyond.