BMW sticking with iDrive rotary controller – report

BMW car will continue to offer rotary controls for its infotainment system in certain models, even as some rivals are phasing them out.

BMW interior designer Stefan Frick told Auto Express that the iDrive rotary controller will continue to appear in vehicles with touchscreens that are further away from the driver.

“You have to think about the architecture of the car and the ergonomics. If the screen isn’t close enough, it doesn’t make any sense [to remove the rotary controller]he say.

Redesign 2 Series Active Tourer revealed without a rotating dial, while at the other end of the size spectrum, 7 Series and i7 there will still be a feature.

Both cars run the latest iDrive OS8.0 infotainment software.

“In 2 Series [Active Tourer] It’s a different architecture and the screen is pretty close – touch control is pretty convenient,” said Frick.

“We still stick with the iDrive controller, especially with this model [the 7 Series]. We have a 20 year history of iDrive controllers. ”

Frick’s comments suggest models like the next generation X1 will do without the rotary dial as it is expected to have an interior similar to the Active Tourer, while the fare is larger as the next one 5 Lines Will continue to use it.

The first generation iDrive rotary controller was introduced in 2001 with the E65 7 Series, and was initially met with criticism from members of the automotive press.

Immediately after its launch, BMW equipped it with a number of shortcut buttons and successive generations of BMW iDrive have continued to see the perfection of this system.

Although BMW introduced touchscreens a decade ago and continues to expand its voice-command technology, the rotary controller remains an intuitive means of navigating the system.

In contrast, Audi has been phasing out the MMI rotary controller from its cars while adding touch functionality to its infotainment screens.

During the transition from COMAND to MBUX, Mercedes-Benz also removed its rotary controller. And while Lexus never had a rotary controller, it ditched its controversial trackpad and rolled out a touchscreen and expanded voice prompts across its range of vehicles.

Alfa Romeo continues to include a rotary controller in its cars, while the latest generation of Genesis models features a polished, knurled metal dial. Both brands also include touch functionality in their screens.