The new BMW iX3 looks different from other BMW that came before it, even under the influence of designs from iconic models of the past decades. Things set up inside an electric SUV where you get a central screen shaped like a parallelogram and a nearly four-foot-wide display that spans the bottom of the windshield is different from what I've ever seen in a car. And just as I quickly got used to the bold styling of the iX3, during my days of testing, I immediately found it easy for BMW to dismiss more displays in something car with this new technology layout as screens for screens. But here it is not.
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The Panoramic iDrive, as it is called the system, consists of a 17.9-inch central screen and a very cool 43-inch "Panoramic Vision" display where the dash meets the windshield. When I tried it right after experiencing the huge screen in the new Mercedes-Benz GLC EV, it really put things into perspective. At Mercedes, the 39.1-inch screen that takes over the entire dashboard is seemingly impressive. But once you start using it, you will realize that most of it is not really necessary. It feels excessive.
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By contrast, the way BMW sets things off is more thoughtful. The main display is to reinterpret the way BMW is used to orient the control of the center console towards the driver is very smart to turn into a parallelogram because the buttons shaped the way are gone and the screen also needs to be easily accessible to passengers. Its shape brings the lower right corner closer to the passenger seat, giving them easier access to parts of the screen that have climate control. Similarly, the top left bit does not require quite as much of a stretch from the driver as a more standard rectangular display.
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The screen itself also looks fantastic. It has crisp graphics and a resolution of 3340x1440 pixels, and OS X feels like an improvement over iDrive's already very good ninth iteration. It's a lot of evolution, not revolution, but it's easy to operate. And when you learn where all the important functions are located, it all feels very natural and logical.
When you turn on Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, the only downside I can find of having a screen shaped like this is its ugly head back. Using the former will open a rectangular window in the center of the screen, rather than moving it to the edge. For example, if you are displaying Waze on your screen, it will look bad compared to the native navigation app of the operating system that uses all the screen real estate. (This reminds me of another excellent infotainment display of BMW cars, the circular OLED screen that is mounted on the latest mini models. Overall is a great display, but you have the same problem when mirroring your phone — the square will pop up instead of using the whole circle.)
The highlight for me was the panoramic vision display, with my hands down. Right before the driver, you have the essentials: speed, transmission mode, and range. The rest of the display features 6 customizable widget slots. There is a wide selection that includes expected items such as local weather, music and travel information. But there are also nerdier choices like the temperature of the battery pack and the angle of the steering lock. Maybe the best part of it is how it is arranged in the car. It is projected just below the edge of the windshield and placed in the driver's line of sight. You see it on the steering wheel, eliminating the need to look down to where you would normally find your gauge. This should improve safety because it means drivers keep an eye on the road more time.
There is also a mode where you turn off most displays and leave only some in front of the driver. This makes night driving a little easier in your eyes and also helps the declutter cabin visually. BMW also offers 2D head-up displays to complement the 3D screens, but that's not necessary. After using it for a day, I turned it off with my iX3 tester and kept it off until I returned the car.
After revolutionizing the car's infotainment system with the original iDrive, where the controller was copied in most industries, BMW again showed innovation and the iX3 set The only thing that was able to make it better was keeping the physical control of the central screen, which is one of the features of the previous infotainment system. I think it's the safest way to operate infotainment on your smartphone, and the rotary swivel control surrounded by shortcuts is an excellent design. Still, the Panoramic iDrive is a big step forward and we're happy to see it on the i3 and other future models.
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