Twenty Years of BMW iDrive

2021 marks the 20th anniversary of BMW’s iDrive platform. When iDrive was first introduced, it changed the way we interact with cars. Two decades of steady progress has turned BMW iDrive into the industry standard, often imitated but never truly replicated. 

For the 2001 model year, the BMW 7 Series created a whole new user experience. As cars become more innovative, complex, and digital, more and more buttons filled up the cockpit. The 7 Series had an elegant solution. It introduced a color Control Display in the instrument panel and a rotary dial iDrive Controller on the center console. This multifunctional system allowed drivers to control a large number of vehicle settings, entertainment, navigation and telecommunications functions with a single operating tool. In addition to voice control, the iDrive system made operating a car’s systems not only significant easier, but safer as well. It’s no wonder that every other auto manufacture has since copied this system.

Since its introduction, BMW iDrive has led the way in consistent innovation. The Touch Controller and Control Display with touch control made the iDrive even more intuitive and easy to use. Head-Up display gives the drive the ability to view essential information within their forward line of sight. Gesture Control and enhanced voice control advancements further support vehicle operation while maintaining focus on driving.

As the iDrive system got more advanced, so too did a driver’s ability to access it. The BMW Connected app gives driver’s more access than ever to their vehicles functions straight from their smartphone. The BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, introduced in the latest iDrive 7, gives drivers a digital companion with a skillset that constantly updates to stay on the cutting edge. Speaking of updates, iDrive 7 also introduces Remote Software Upgrades, making your BMW future proof.

As BMW moves into the future of electric mobility, the iDrive system is poised to play a key role in further redefining how we interact with our vehicles. Digital intelligence and optimized sensors allow for the automation of certain elements of driving, such as parking. Cloud-based services and an ever-growing pool of real-time data give drives access to more information than ever before. The next-generation BMW iDrive is set up to utilize the potential of an intelligently connected vehicle more extensively than ever and thus make the mobility experience even safer, even more comfortable and convenient, and even richer in variety.