CES 2025: BMW delivers panoramic surprise

Las Vegas may be synonymous with spectacle, but CES 2025 saw BMW’s pavilion in the Silver Lot redefine the art of theatrical product launches during CES 2025. While most tech companies were flaunting the typical arsenal of smarter fridges and bendier screens, BMW blended the “magical” with the “mechanical.” 

The star was the world debut of the BMW Panoramic iDrive display concept, which is set to debut upcoming Neue Klasse vehicles. The real kicker, in Vegas terms, was US comedy legend Tim Meadows joining the automotive entourage.

The BMW CES press conference on 7 January was less a dry product pitch and more a variety show. Meadows – best known for sharp-witted humour on Saturday Night Live – played host. He was joined by a heavyweight lineup from BMW, including Frank Weber, chief development oOfficer at BMW AG; Adrian van Hooydonk, head of BMW Group Design; and Stephan Durach, head of UI/UX Development. Together, they peeled back the digital curtain on the Neue Klasse’s technological ambitions.

_{Photo courtesy, BMW Group}

A Panoramic Future

The main act was, of course, the Panoramic iDrive display, billed as BMW’s next generation of in-car interaction. Unlike traditional dashboards dominated by clusters of screens, the system uses a sweeping full-width projection display embedded seamlessly across the windshield. Dubbed a “panoramic display,” it ensures drivers and passengers are all bathed in vital information – while remaining focused on the road, one hopes.

BMW says this interface represents its clearest attempt yet at merging human-machine interaction with personalisation, safety, and driver orientation. And unlike many CES automotive concepts that seem far-fetched, the Panoramic iDrive is slated for inclusion in production-ready Neue Klasse vehicles this year. The company calls it “a step change,” a phrase usually associated with hype, but the visuals on offer suggest this is no incremental improvement.

BMW’s electrified evolution

Neue Klasse translates to “New Class”, BMW’s roadmap for its electric vehicle (EV) future. Building on the legacy of the original Neue Klasse of the 1960s, which redefined the sports sedan category, this edition brings electrification, minimalism, and digital smarts to the fore. It is designed around the company’s new modular architecture, which optimises EV platforms for range, sustainability, and performance. It will reportedly include sixth-generation battery cells that boost energy density by 20% and reduce carbon emissions in production by up to 60%. BMW promises an electric range improvement of 30% over current-generation EVs. 

While the numbers impressed, the real triumph was in how these advancements will be invisible to the driver.

The BMW Pavilion itself is a destination at CES, with its Silver Lot location buzzing throughout the week. Beyond the press conference, the pavilion is hosting multiple presentations each day, featuring Meadows as well as BMW’s top design and tech executives. Scheduled hourly from 8 to 10 January, the sessions are a mix of deep dives into the Panoramic iDrive system and lighter crowd interactions. Theatrics aside, attendees leave with a clearer sense of how Neue Klasse vehicles might shape the EV market – not only in terms of features, but also in the user experience they promise.

For all the buzz around its interface, the Neue Klasse’s Panoramic iDrive display raises interesting questions. How does a windshield projection handle sun glare? What happens if the software glitches? BMW claims to have tackled these with layered fail-safes and adaptive brightness controls, though specifics are scarce. Safety is another central promise: the projection is designed to reduce distractions by keeping drivers’ eyes on the road. Early test drives will need to confirm whether this pans out in real-world conditions.

* Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx and editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Bluesky on @art2gee.bsky.social.