Now that most of the imaginary dust has pretty much settled from the whirlwind of a trip to Munich for the launch of the Neue Klasse, and the subsequent rush of catching up on work once back in Singapore, I’ve finally managed to sit myself down to properly catch up on the interviews we managed to bag while there. While most of the answers we got were understandably toeing the company line, it was still insightful to hear directly from the people who are fully involved in BMW’s most ambitious project to date.
For our first interview (of three), it was with Stephan Durach, BMW’s Senior Vice President for UI/UX Development. As UI/UX is something I work with on a day-to-day basis as a designer, being able to sit down with him, was a session I thoroughly enjoyed. With a number of other journalists in the room, I tried my best to put as many questions through without hogging all the time, here’s the full interview (along with questions asked by others). Apologies if it’s rather long.
Q: “Many owners (myself included) are deeply passionate about the iDrive controller, appreciating how intuitive and convenient it is to use, especially while driving. Now that so many functions are transitioning to touchscreens, what would you say to reassure those drivers and convince them of the benefits of the new system?”
A: “So actually, we’re not moving all controls to the screen. There are two perspectives to consider, and maybe it’s best to start with the iDrive controller itself. When we introduced the first generation of iDrive, the controller was a crucial part of our interaction concept. At that time, touchscreens weren’t available on the market, so we needed to find a solution for managing all the car’s functions.
Today, though, the landscape has completely changed. Applications and content are moving toward touchscreens, and the usage of the controller has dropped dramatically. In fact, we see many customers who never touch the iDrive controller at all.
At the same time, voice control has become a very strong modality. A lot of the controller’s usage in the past was for alphanumeric input — searching for an address, a phone number, and so on. Now, those tasks are almost entirely handled by speech. Customer behavior has shifted as technology has advanced, and with voice assistants becoming stronger and more capable, the necessity of the iDrive controller just isn’t there anymore.
On top of that, our current Panoramic iDrive system still keeps the most important functions directly on the steering wheel. From the right side of the wheel, you can select phone numbers, control entertainment, and more, all while keeping your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel. The multifunction steering wheel allows drivers to manage a lot without distraction.
And when it comes to physical controls, we haven’t eliminated them entirely. There are still essential tactile elements like a volume knob, mirror controls, and a few mechanical buttons. We studied how often customers actually use different functions, and based on that data, we made the changes we felt made sense.
Finally, if you look at the screen itself, its position in the car is very different from what it used to be. Previously, design was shaped by the separation of control and display. Now, the screen is positioned much closer to the driver, making interaction more intuitive. We’re fully convinced that once your friends drive this car, they won’t miss the iDrive controller at all.”
Q: “To add to that, and I hope I’m not putting this the wrong way, there has been some pushback from consumers asking for more physical buttons to return. Do you see any change in direction on this moving forward? Perhaps having more physical buttons in the future?”
A: “You can already see that, despite the broader industry trend of eliminating as many buttons as possible, we haven’t gone down that path. In our cars, there are still a number of mechanical control buttons for the most important functions, and I’m confident they’ll remain.
So yes, while you might see some brands going toward a “touch-only” approach, that’s not the case with us. If you take a look at our cars today, you’ll still find a good amount of physical buttons for exactly these reasons.
We have about 10 million cars on the road right now, which gives us very precise insight into how people are actually using the controls, what buttons they press, how often, and in what situations. Based on that data, we’ve made decisions about which functions belong on touchscreens, which work best with voice, and which should remain physical.
That said, we’re always reevaluating. If customer behavior or expectations change, we’ll look at it again. But at the moment, we’re confident we’ve found the right balance between digital, touchscreen, voice, and physical controls.”
Q: “Looking ahead, is there any possibility for users to customize things like icon sizes or text sizes in the system?”
A: “We already offer a good amount of customisation in our products, but what we’ve observed is that customers rarely make use of it. The icons and text are already larger than what you’d find on a typical smartphone, and the interface has been optimised specifically for the driving use case.
With our Panoramic iDrive, for example, the display is designed in a way that reduces eye strain. I wear glasses myself, and because the virtual image distance is set further out, closer to how you view the road, it avoids the usual accommodation issues your eyes face when shifting between near and far vision. So we’re confident that the system already meets customer needs very effectively, especially with the panoramic setup.”
Q: “I assume this system will be used in upcoming models. Can you explain what kind of technology it uses? I noticed a 3D effect — almost like a reflection.”
A: “At the core, it’s actually well-known technology, but implemented in a very smart way. We use a matrix backlight display mounted in the dashboard, combined with a special reflective coating on the inside of the front windshield. This reflection creates a virtual 3D display that appears to hover, giving that three-dimensional effect you noticed.
It’s different from looking directly at the display, because the virtual image has a separate focal point. If you look at the lower part of the ridge field — the black belt area — you’ll see that the black print is standard in every car. Traditionally, it’s used to mask the edges of the windshield, but here it helps enhance the virtual image effect, integrating the 3D display seamlessly into the cabin.”
Q: “I’m curious about its performance in bright sunlight. How does the system hold up?”
A: “We tested it extensively in bright sunlight, and it performs exceptionally well — better than most conventional displays. The reason is that the display is always black when inactive, which minimises sun reflection. Combined with the matrix backlight technology, it can generate a high level of light intensity, making it easy to read even on very sunny days.
Also, it’s worth noting the coating on the front windshield. Many displays struggle when viewed through polarized sunglasses, but ours works perfectly with them. So even with polarized lenses, the system remains fully readable and clear.
One of the real advantages of this system becomes apparent at night. Thanks to the matrix backlight, when the display is black, it’s truly black because the light is switched off. This reduces interior light pollution compared to traditional LCDs, which emit a lot of stray light even when showing black.
The reflection technology also minimizes glare inside the car. In low-light situations, like twilight when the sun is low, reflections from conventional displays can be distracting. But because our system reflects off the windshield rather than the display itself, interior reflections are greatly reduced. In these lighting conditions, the cabin feels much cleaner, and compared to typical pillar-to-pillar displays, the light emission is very low, creating a far more comfortable experience for the driver.”
Q: “I noticed a photo showing a panoramic HUD with navigation information, while the same data is also on the central screen. How did you decide which information should appear on the HUD, and where did you draw the line?”
A: “With our panoramic system, we follow a clear hierarchy for displaying information. The central information display is the primary interface for consuming detailed information or manipulating controls — for example, moving a map or adjusting settings.
The heads-up display, on the other hand, is focused on the driver’s immediate needs. It shows the most critical information, such as navigation prompts or urgent alerts, while reducing non-essential data to avoid visual overload. Essentially, we prioritize what the driver sees based on urgency and relevance.
If certain data is already displayed on the central screen, we avoid redundancy on the HUD unless it’s critical for immediate driving decisions. As the driver approaches a key point, like a turn on the map, the panoramic system highlights the relevant information progressively. This approach ensures that the most important information is visible at the right time, while less critical details remain in the background, maintaining a clean and focused driving experience.”
Q: “First, looking at the progression of BMW’s operating systems over time, what would you say are the most important lessons the team learned from developing OS and OS 9 that were applied to OS 10?”
A: “OS 9 was a major step forward, and when you compare it to OS X, many elements of the central information display are familiar — it was very much an evolutionary development. With OS 10, particularly in our Panoramic Vision, we took a more revolutionary approach. We’re always trying to balance what users already know with areas where we can improve the experience. It’s not about change for the sake of change, but about meaningful optimization.
Another lesson from OS development is how we consider consumer electronics trends. If something has become a standard that users expect — like the design of a music player or media content interface — we often stick with it rather than reinventing it. This approach ensures consistency and familiarity, which benefits the user experience.
At the same time, we focus on optimizing how content is displayed. For instance, car controls are typically located in the corners, which frees up the central display for media, navigation, or app content. We also prioritize flexibility, making it easy to integrate updates quickly, similar to an app store, while maintaining the robustness required for automotive use. Essentially, it’s about balancing speed of integration, user familiarity, and a high-quality driving experience.”
Q: “Coming back to the lessons you mentioned with the 10 million cars in the field, I’m curious: do you see differences across markets? Is the current design influenced more heavily by the preferences of certain regions?”
A: “That’s a question we get a lot, whether behavior differs significantly across markets. To be honest, the differences are smaller than you might expect. There are some trends that emerge slightly earlier in certain regions — for example, voice assistants have been adopted more quickly in parts of Asia due to technology availability.
But overall, the time gap between markets is very short, especially in today’s digital environment. While a specific feature might pop up slightly earlier in one region, global adoption happens very quickly. So, the design of our systems is increasingly shaped by universal usage patterns rather than heavily by any single market’s preferences.”
Q: “Along the lines of the AI assistant, AI is evolving very quickly, and there are now AI companions. Are there plans for the BMW AI assistant to evolve into something more like a personal AI companion?”
A: “Definitely. There’s a lot of movement on the AI side, but in the car context, it’s crucial to have safeguards. Drivers need predictable behavior, you don’t want the AI to react unpredictably. That’s why we’re introducing AI domain by domain, starting with specific car functions where we can ensure reliability.
On our roadmap, in Europe and Western markets, we plan to integrate large language models via Alexa to enhance speech capabilities. In China, we’re partnering with Panda, and in Korea, we’re exploring another global partner. The system we’ve built allows us to select the best local partner and even swap solutions by market if needed. This flexibility ensures that our AI assistant is both reliable and tailored to the region while providing a foundation for more advanced AI capabilities in the future.”
Q: “This is more of a personal question. I’m a bit nostalgic about older BMWs, particularly the orange instrument clusters, which I’m happy to see make a return. Since everything is now virtual, is it possible to have instrument clusters that mimic the classic designs, like Mini has done with their classic display? And what about sounds, is there a way to bring back iconic engine notes?”
A: “As you saw in our presentations, the system offers a lot of possibilities for personalisation. Users can choose different colours, backgrounds, and display layouts. For example, in Sports Mode, we feature the classic BMW orange, the very colour you’re referring to.
The interface is designed to be flexible, allowing us to create both modern and nostalgic experiences. There are even more options we’re working on, though I can’t share all the details yet. But the principle is clear: we want to give drivers the ability to personalise their experience while preserving the iconic BMW character, both visually and sonically. There are a couple of more things we cannot talk about.
But as you can see, there’s a lot of flexibility there. So there will be more.”
Q: “I noticed that no engine sounds were played during the presentation. Can we expect to hear some of these sounds in the future?”
A: “I’d ask for a little patience, there will be many sporty models coming, and we’re making sure they deliver a truly emotional experience, including through sound. So, rest assured, this is something we’re taking very seriously.”
Q: “Is it possible for BMW cars to communicate with each other to avoid collisions? Could this be implemented in the future?”
A: “Theoretically, yes, it’s possible, but we’re not implementing this at the moment. Technically, it could be done, but it’s a highly complex task; for example, braking at the wrong moment could be dangerous.
That said, the BMW fleet is already connected in other ways. Cars can share information about traffic conditions, such as the end of a traffic jam, and this data is broadcast not just to BMW vehicles but to all drivers. So while direct collision-avoidance communication isn’t active yet, connected features that improve driving safety and efficiency are already in operation.”
Q: “How would you say the current iDrive system is superior to past iterations in terms of driver engagement? Some readers might argue that with more visualisation and displays, it could be distracting.”
A: “If you look at the general market today, many vehicles are dramatically increasing display size, often replacing the entire dashboard with screens. That’s not the approach we’ve taken. We carefully consider what information is most relevant and display it at the right time and in the right location.
The heads-up display, for example, is positioned directly in the driver’s line of sight, reducing the need to look down. Traditional instrument clusters are limited by the steering wheel’s position, forcing drivers to shift focus and potentially strain their eyes. By moving the instrument cluster slightly upward and away from the steering wheel, we resolve these issues and provide a clearer, more ergonomic view.
At the same time, we’ve reduced information overload in the central display. Instead of cramming many elements into a small space, we show only the most relevant data. The result is a system that is precise, efficient, and minimally distracting, providing the driver with exactly what they need when they need it, while enhancing engagement rather than detracting from it.”
Q: “With the Heart of Joy at the centre of BMW’s latest technology, were there still limitations that prevented your team from implementing certain features, or were you able to include everything you and your team wanted?”
A: “Our infrastructure and architecture, especially with what we call our ‘super brain,’ give us significant flexibility to build and integrate new features. This allows us to make decisions about adding functionality, even at a late stage, either through our own development or by partnering with other companies.
For example, in China, we’re integrating the Momenta stack into our infrastructure, demonstrating that our system is prepared to accommodate new services at any time. Because we handle software integration in-house, we can develop features ourselves or collaborate with partners efficiently.
So at the moment, I don’t see any inherent limitations. Of course, proper integration requires time to ensure security, safety, and privacy, but the system’s flexibility allows us to implement almost anything we deem valuable for the user experience.”
Q: “Okay, last question from me: what are your thoughts on ‘fake’ manual transmissions and the role of electric vehicles?”
A; “I think the way you phrased your question actually points to the core of the issue. When something is ‘fake’ or artificial, it’s immediately noticeable. One of the challenges with electric powertrains is that they deliver so much power so smoothly that it’s difficult to convey the driver’s sense of speed and engagement the way a manual transmission and combustion engine can, with its tactile feedback, gear shifts, and acoustic cues.
“That’s a tricky question. How do you convey meaningful feedback to the driver beyond just what the speedometer shows? It comes down to thinking about sound and the overall driving experience. Current concepts on the market are interesting, but may feel artificial or ‘fake.’ To truly engage the driver, we need a completely new interpretation, a solution that communicates power, responsiveness, and the sensory experience of driving in an authentic way.”