- #Bmw idrive 8 review how to#
- #Bmw idrive 8 review drivers#
- #Bmw idrive 8 review update#
- #Bmw idrive 8 review driver#
8.5 will be the last iteration of iDrive to be based on Linux operating system behind the scenes. The brand will introduce iDrive 8.5 to many of its models, including the 7 Series, iX, X5, X6, X7 and XM from July 2023, with some eligible for a remote software upgrade from iDrive 8, too. Hardware for the 8.5 version stays the same, consisting of a dual-screen curved screen layout.
#Bmw idrive 8 review update#
The update will reportedly be much more touchscreen-focussed than before. Major menus will be shown on the screen in vertical widgets, meaning you no longer need to navigate through multiple submenus to select these options.
IDrive update 8.5 brings a new home screen with a clearer layout that arranges the system’s main and most frequently used features on a quick-select toolbar. The big 14.9-inch main central touchscreen runs into the 12.3-inch digital dashboard display, for an immersive experience with the sort of crisp image owners expect from their high-end tablet device or television at home.īehind the scenes, iDrive 8 offers an increased capacity for over-the-air updates, including an ability to update a car’s autonomous driving features. One of the most notable hardware features of iDrive is a central display curved towards the driver. Since iDrive 7, the whole interface can be kept fresh with over-the-air updates. Over time, iDrive displays have got bigger and the simple text-based menus of the original systems have been replaced by tiled menus and carefully considered on-screen graphics that all help to create a safe and enjoyable interface.
The eighth-generation version of BMW iDrive, dubbed iDrive 8, debuted in the BMW iX electric SUV. Early versions consisted of a rotary dial between the seats that controlled menus on a central touchscreen but later iterations of iDrive have integrated touchscreen technology and can be activated by voice command, gesture recognition and steering wheel controls.
Not only was BMW iDrive one of the first infotainment systems on the market but it has become something of a benchmark system for controlling functions within a car. Frustration, stress and distraction are the enemies of relaxed and safe driving, and that’s why from the very first version of BMW’s iDrive launched in 2001, the focus has been on user-friendliness.
#Bmw idrive 8 review driver#
It all sounds like a recipe for disaster, which is why it’s vital that the interface between the driver and a modern digitally connected car has to be as simple and intuitive to use as possible. Instead, you need to run everything through a central display screen using menus that are selectable in turn - or often simultaneously - for all the different onboard technologies. If we were all still limited to analogue switches and dials on the dashboard, there simply wouldn’t be room for all the controls necessary to configure the array of onboard systems in a modern luxury car.
#Bmw idrive 8 review drivers#
In a luxury car such as an expensive BMW, drivers need iDrive to access an incredibly diverse range of menus including climate control settings and telephone contacts, settings for sport, comfort or eco driving modes, emails, text messages, and seat settings, all while requesting navigation directions to the nearest restaurant via voice command and scrolling through their favourite playlist.
#Bmw idrive 8 review how to#
In this guide we’ll explore what iDrive is, its latest features, how to use it, common problems and how it compares to rivals’ infotainment systems. Its development continues apace, with the upcoming iDrive 9 being rolled out on many of the brand’s cars in 2023. This is the name of its infotainment system, and like many premium brands, this has become well-known as it has evolved over many interactions, featuring in a host of popular models including the BMW 3 Series. If you own or are thinking of buying a BMW, chances are you will have heard talk of the BMW iDrive system.
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