This week, BMW is making a big splash at CES by showing the much-awaited iDrive X. The next-gen infotainment system includes a complete overhaul of the dashboard. In addition to the supersized touchscreen taking center stage, there’s an entirely new pillar-to-pillar display at the base of the windshield. It’s not a screen per se but rather a projection.
We’ve now learned straight from BMW about one important functionality that was not previously mentioned in the official documentation. The dashboard-wide display will support wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. In other words, you can use one of the six configurable tiles to display certain functions of the two major smartphone apps.
The expansive display actually has nine sections, but the first three widgets on the left replace the traditional instrument cluster. On top of them is a new 3D head-up display, which BMW will charge extra for. The fancy HUD will be offered as optional equipment. The remaining six widgets are configurable, and you can arrange them as desired, as shown in the image above.
Although the iDrive X premiered at CES as a “close-to-production version,” the final setup is coming soon. We’re not expecting any significant changes. BMW will introduce the first car with the new infotainment later in 2025 when the second-generation iX3 is set to break cover. It will be the first model from the reinvented Neue Klasse lineup. However, the plan is to install the technology across the entire lineup in the following years. That means gas cars, too. Not just next-gen models but also vehicles already on sale that are set to go through a Life Cycle Impulse.
BMW’s ultimate goal is to unify its infotainment systems by putting iDrive X in all cars. Currently, BMW uses no fewer than three different setups: iDrive 7, iDrive 8/8.5, and iDrive 9. The upcoming iDrive X is closely related to iDrive 9 by using an Android Open Source Project (AOSP) software stack.
