The removal of a key feature that owners had taken for granted for decades has sparked controversy both online and offline. While most vehicles still feature the dial, the new iX3 is a clear sign that BMW is phasing it out. The second-generation electric SUV ditches the traditional iDrive button, a move that will apply to virtually all future products.
While some are mourning the loss of the physical selector, others are not. Those who have tried iDrive X seem to prefer relying on the touchscreen. BMW said TechRadar There have been no complaints about the lack of the controller from people who have spent time in the new iX3. Stephan Durach, Senior Vice President of UI/UX Development, made it crystal clear:
“This is by far the most advanced infotainment system we’ve ever built. After using the technology, no one asked us to go back to the physical dial.”
BMW explains that it’s not just the infotainment system’s more intuitive interface that makes the traditional iDrive button seem obsolete. The 2027 iX3 introduces Panoramic Vision, a pillar-to-pillar projection that displays nine widgets along the bottom of the windshield. From left to right, the first three are permanently mounted and replace the traditional instrument cluster.
The remaining six can be customized via the 17.9-inch central screen, allowing users to drag and drop the information they want. An optional 3D head-up display brings even more data directly into the driver’s field of vision. Not available for the new iX3, but an additional display will be available for some future BMW models. This is integrated into the passenger side of the dashboard. The 7 Series facelift, which launches later this year, will likely debut it first.
Then there’s the redesigned steering wheel, which BMW sees as the primary physical control interface. It features haptic touch buttons that only light up when their respective functions are available. There are still a handful of traditional buttons between the seats and on the door panels, but the iX3’s interior clearly hints at a simplified layout. Even the sliders for adjusting the vents have been removed to adapt to the iX, which uses the touchscreen to adjust airflow direction.
BMW has another reason to believe that drivers won’t miss the iDrive dial. Its new AI-powered personal assistant integrates Amazon Alexa+ for more natural, human-like interactions. For example, users can ask multiple questions in a single sentence. This feature will not only be available for iDrive X, but will also be available for vehicles equipped with iDrive 9.
BMW’s decision to “clean up” its interiors comes at a time when other automakers are moving in the opposite direction. Volkswagen has agreed to reintroduce some physical buttons after customer backlash over an over-reliance on touchscreens. Other brands like Toyota never went this far in eliminating traditional controls and continue to offer more “old-fashioned” interfaces.
The real test for BMW will come later this year, when deliveries of the new iX3 are scheduled to begin in Europe this spring and continue in the US this summer. We’re sure some early adopters will miss the iDrive controller, a feature that’s already disappeared from the company’s smallest vehicles.
Considering iDrive X was designed without the rotary knob from day one, a return seems highly unlikely. It would be a costly undertaking to redesign the vehicles from both a hardware and software perspective to accommodate the dial again. In other words, we’ll just have to get used to BMW’s interiors, without the feature that the E65-generation 7 Series introduced.
Source: TechRadar
