BMW will be releasing a new version of its iDrive in 2018 and we'll see the new infotainment system make its debut in the new BMW X5, 3 Series and 8 Series, which are due for reveal before the end of the year.

Can you believe that BMW's iDrive has been in service since 2001? However, given how fast technology progresses and despite numerous tweaks and facelifts, the BMW dashboard layouts tend to feel a little outdated in comparison to the crips offerings of the Volkswagen Group's Active Info Display / Virtual Cockpit and Peugeot's i-Cockpit.

Dubbed BMW iDrive 7.0, this new generation of display is completely digital and is claimed to offer a "clear layout and structuring, intuitive operation, and customisable and personalised displays which has been designed to always provide the driver with the right information at the right time." With a navigation map located in the centre, the new system features a rev counter and speedometer, but not in the typical BMW circle dial shape which we've grown accustomed to over the decades.

First previewed in the BMW X7 iPerformance concept, this new dashboard layout looks fresh and clean, but the real test will be in the user experience. BMW claims that its new layout can be customised with "up to ten freely configurable main menu pages, each containing between two and four pads." The system will feature the standard iDrive controller, touchscreen functionality, voice control and the new gesture control tech. Naturally the display changes depending on which mode the car is in. For example, when your BMW is in Sport mode, it'll display performance data like turbo boost pressure and G-forces.

The new BMW OS announcement formed part of BMW's Digital Day, where it "offers an insight into current product developments, technological concepts, innovations and manufacturing processes that will enable it to shape the future of mobility."

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