In the New BMW iX, Technology is Often Invisible

The technology that we depend on every day comes in many forms, from the smartphone in your pocket, to your home’s wireless thermostat. Not all important tech, however, is so easily visible. In the new BMW iX, for example, much of the technology that keeps you safe, comfortable and informed en route is designed to fade into the background.

As the first model based on the German luxury automaker’s new modular, scalable future toolkit, the BMW iX presents a fresh vision of sustainability, versatility, and design. To bring the iX to life, BMW needed to create a whole new design process and a new approach to technology, and the result is a vehicle that’s full of “Shy Tech” features — technology that’s everywhere, but only visible when you need it.

The iX was developed from the inside-out, with a human-centric approach that puts the driver and passengers centre stage. Anything that wasn’t necessary was removed to create a perfect space that’s inviting, light-filled and cozy. Much like a modern living space, the iX is filled with the latest technology, but it doesn’t overwhelm its passengers with screens, lights and sensors. Instead, this Shy Tech remains in the background, only becoming apparent when it is needed or in use. The BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, for example, appears when it is spoken to via a fluid animation and spreads out engagingly over the car’s display screens without concealing relevant information. Speakers are integrated and out of sight, air vents are subtle and intricately styled, while the BMW Head-Up Display’s projector is recessed into the instrument panel rendering it almost invisible.

The exterior features even more Shy Tech, with the slimmest headlight units ever to feature on a BMW production vehicle, flush-fitted door openers that open at the press of a button, a rearview camera integrated into the BMW logo, and sleek, frameless side windows. The iconic BMW kidney grille, meanwhile, with its discreetly positioned array of sensors, camera, and cleaning system for the camera, is another example of how BMW cleverly conceals the iX’s capabilities. These illustrate the radical approach to car design that makes the new BMW iX feel – and look – unlike any other BMW model before it. It also proves that technology doesn’t always need to be visible to make your life (and your commute) better, smoother, and smarter than ever.