There is no doubt that when iDrive first arrived most customers were less than thrilled with its design and performance. Since that day, BMW has slowly but surely made improvements every three years or so but none of them have been as dramatic as the one we've seen today, iDrive Version 8.
Of course, the screens used are bigger and the graphics are more interesting and bold but what makes the 8th generation of iDrive special is that it includes a slew of new technology baked into the software. This software is intended to completely integrate the vehicle with its owner in a way never before seen.
The New System Reminds Us Of KITT From Knight Rider
The IPA or Intelligent Personal Assist is designed to take the next step beyond the assists many of us use today like Alexa or Google. Taking that next step required a system that could communicate more naturally and BMW says that this will do that better than any other available today.
Unlike other mainstream assistants, BMW will let owners name their assistant whatever they'd like. Once activated it won't only communicate with words, but also uses a visualization of light to communicate non-verbally. We'll have an in depth article about it in the future—it's an incredibly deep piece of technology.
BMW iDrive Wants To Be Your Biggest Fan
To further the innovation of iDrive 8, BMW has also included 5G connectivity. Among other things, this will allow iDrive to be updated wirelessly over the air much in the same way that we've seen manufacturers like Tesla doing for some time now. They've also created something called "Great Entrance Moments" where the car will recognize the driver some three meters away and begin a series of events that welcome the drive to the car with lights, keyless entry, and a special entry video. Your assistant can be set up to respond to your entrance as well.
Finally, BMW is introducing "My Modes," a bit of tech that will allow you to fully tune the entire slew of settings in the car including driving dynamics, climate, and entertainment to specific memory options. A single button press will configure all of these settings to best suit the owner.
Sources: BMW