BMW SO 7.0, The New Virtual Cockpit From The Bavarian Firm

The automotive industry is currently at a time when luxury is not based on the quality of the car, but on the technological load that it has. This has motivated the creation of systems that until recently were pure science and fiction. BMW knows this and that is why it debuts the new BMW SO 7.0.

This is the new, fully digital instrument panel from the Bavarian firm. With this component they hope to match their more direct rivals, Audi and Mercedes, who for a few years had systems of this cut.

That is not misleading, because in the models of more caliber and recently launched the frame was already completely digital, but its customization and interface was limited compared to the competition. This handicap was due to the fact that it conserved the physical spheres to simulate the effect of an analogue picture of those of a lifetime.

Now, thanks to the arrival of the new BMW SO 7.0, the brand is on par with its rivals with a state-of-the-art system. The first prototypes have been seen in the Series 8 Concept, Z4 Concept and X7 Concept, but we will see it in production this year with the final versions of the three mentioned.

This new operating system will be able to offer a total of 10 different screens in which varied information will be offered, from the GPS, through the car settings and even the sound system. It will be complemented by the brand’s latest multimedia systems, with gesture control and the latest version of the iDrive.

It should be noted that this system will adapt its configuration through the smart key of the new BMWs. From this key you can already manipulate the automatic parking by remote control and even the air conditioning without even being inside the car.

With the BMW SO 7.0, the functions of the brand’s smart key go further, and with the synchronization of this with the car, the vehicle itself will be in charge of configuring all the parameters to keep them as the driver wishes, as well as their preferences in various aspects.

As with the rest of systems of this type already used by other manufacturers, the general design that will be presented on the screen will depend on the selected driving mode. At the moment, the firm has provided images of the Iconic (normal), Sport and ECO modes.

Depending on the chosen mode and the selected screen, information will be offered to us through two or four different panels, although the total configuration of these is maintained , being able to choose what we want to see at all times.

Perhaps the most negative point that can be taken from the new BMW system is its elaborate design, with which the easy reading of the frame that is so vital once driving on the open road is lost along the way. Something similar happens with the new Mercedes MBUX system, so in this regard Audi and its derivatives are in the lead.

For the moment, this system will be assembled by the models mentioned above to be gradually extended to the rest of the range. Later it will also be extended to the other brands of the BMW group such as MINI and Rolls Royce.