So this is what The Hoff and Arnie were on about: after a series of pre-Christmas teasers for its Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show (CES) concept-car reveal, BMW has introduced "Dee" - the second in its proposed trio of i Vision models that point towards 2025's production Neue Klasse, its new generation of mainstream electric models (essentially a BEV successor to today's 3 Series).
The first, i Vision Circular (below left), focused on sustainable construction and production. But i Vision Dee (below right) is all about the digital world. The name stands for Digital Emotional Experience and is designed to show that in-car virtual assistants can go beyond voice control and cabin functions to "create an even stronger bond between people and their cars going forward", says the company.
"With the BMW i Vision Dee, we are showcasing what is possible when hardware and software merge," says Oliver Zipse, chairman of the Board of Management of BMW. "In this way, we are able to exploit the full potential of digitalisation to transform the car into an intelligent companion. That is the future for automotive manufacturers - and, also, for BMW: the fusion of the virtual experience with genuine driving pleasure."
The interior features the Mixed Reality Slider, which works in conjunction with a head-up display that runs the entire length of the windscreen. Using "shy-tech" sensors on the instrument panel, drivers can decide for themselves how much digital content they want to see on the head-up display. The five-step selection ranges from analogue, to driving related information, to the contents of the communications system, to augmented-reality projection, right up to entry into virtual worlds. In parallel, dimmable windows can also be used to gradually fade out reality.
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The massive head-up display, which BMW says "demonstrates the huge potential of projection technology," previews similar technology being introduced on the production Neue Klasse in 2025.
There's a personalised welcome scenario as you approach the vehicle that combines graphical elements, light and sound effects. The headlights and the closed BMW kidney grille also form a common "phygital" (fusion of physical and digital) icon on a uniform surface, allowing the vehicle to produce different facial expressions. The idea is that Dee can talk to people and express moods visually. It can also project an image of the driver's avatar or other graphics onto the side window to further personalise the welcome scenario.
Styling and design we might once have called retro is now "reductive" in BMW-speak. Dee is a sedan - again, previewing the Neue Klasse - and showcases classic BMW cues such as the kidney grille and Hofmeister kink, but with those phygital icons replacing some analogue elements.
BMW has not provided any details of Dee's drivetrain, but is understood to be working on new battery technology for the Neue Klasse which will dramatically improve range and charging speed. It has promised more information as we move through 2023 - presumably when the third in the i Vision series is revealed.
