BMW shifts to digital controls to meet changing driver habits

BMW is increasingly replacing traditional physical buttons with touchscreens and voice commands, a shift the company attributes to changing consumer habits. Vikram Pawah, CEO of BMW Group Australia, states that the transition is a response to the technological environment in which users live, noting that customers under the age of 45 are particularly accustomed to the digital interfaces found on smartphones.

This demographic expects to interact with vehicle systems through touch and voice, often performing multiple tasks simultaneously. The new BMW iX3, based on the ‘Neue Klasse’ platform, exemplifies this direction. It features the Panoramic iDrive system, which includes the BMW Panoramic Vision display on the lower windshield and a 3D Head-Up Display. In this model, many functions, such as climate control, have been moved from dedicated physical panels to the central touchscreen or voice activation.

While BMW maintains that this is not primarily a cost-cutting measure to reduce mechanical components, the trend is being mirrored across the industry. Competitors like Tesla and Rivian have long utilized central displays, while established manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz and Mazda are also increasingly migrating controls to digital screens.