At 17.9 inches, the central display for BMW’s new infotainment system is a full three inches bigger than that in current models. However, the expansion ends here. Speaking with Motor Authority, Chief Development Officer Frank Weber said there are no plans to roll out even larger displays: “Making it bigger and bigger is not the right thing.”

He argued that having a jumbo-sized display inside a car “disconnects you from the road.” Instead of cramming even bigger touchscreens that would cause further distractions, BMW intends to offer something called the Panoramic Vision. It’s a pillar-to-pillar projection at the base of the windshield. The new tech features nine sections, with the first three on the left replacing the digital instrument cluster. The other six are customizable, and you can drag and drop the information you want displayed from the touchscreen to the Panoramic Vision.

The iDrive X infotainment with Panoramic Vision will premiere later this year in the second-generation iX3. The electric crossover is going to usher in another tech developed by the Bavarian brand. It’ll be the first production model to feature a new 3D head-up display. However, Weber mentioned it largely won’t be compatible with polarized sunglasses. BMW Group Senior Vice President of UI and UX Stephan Durach told Motor Authority that using the highest-resolution HUD was prioritized during development.

As previously reported, BMW isn’t moving all controls inside the center screen. While the iDrive rotary knob is indeed going away, there are still going to be traditional controls. The stalks for the turn signals and windshield wipers are staying, and so is the volume button. The Munich-based automaker promises to put haptic switches for exterior mirrors, gear selectors, and window de-icers, too.

Eventually, all models will feature iDrive X. However, the size of the screen is likely to vary depending on the vehicle. Logic tells us that smaller cars with narrower dashboards won’t get the full 17.9-inch diagonal. The BMW Group’s design boss, Adrian van Hooydonk, hinted that we’ll see a similar setup in an ALPINA model in 2026.  

Source: Motor Authority