BMW is one of the leading car manufacturers for technology in the world, as proved by the recent unveiling of its 7 Series sedan. Long gone are the days when an in car digital radio was the height of vehicle technology as the German automakers introduce a variety of incredible features.
They’ve also got even more lined up for the future to help make driving as safe, enjoyable and easy as possible. At the moment a lot of this is only available in their top of the range, expensive vehicles but in ten or twenty years’ time it could be in every new car.
Remote Controlled Parking
A simple remote control with LED display, this isn’t just for automatically locking your vehicle. Closer to a gadget you’d find in a sci-fi movie this allows the driver to exit their vehicle, press a command and watch their car park itself in a tight spot or garage.
There are already many cars with assisted parking but actually stepping away from your car as it does the work itself is a huge leap forward. Using BMW’s ultrasound sensors this guides it into space at just over one mile an hour to keep everything safe. The button is held down throughout and letting go will instantly stop the car in case something goes wrong.
BMW iDrive
BMW’s touchscreen entertainment centre gets rid of any fiddly little buttons while still allowing the driver to control the in car radio, telephone and navigation devices. Designed to be used one handed, the most used features are located in the easiest places so you don’t even have to look at the screen.
Voice control is optional for some features while the newest 7 Series due for release in 2016 incorporates hand gestures too. To answer incoming phone calls all you need to do is swipe left to answer or right to ignore in front of the sensor.
My BMW Remote App
A range of apps can be downloaded for the iDrive and some synced with your mobile as well. The My BMW Remote app can be used to lock or unlock your car from your phone, which is useful if you’re unsure of whether you left it locked or not.
It can also control the heating in your vehicle with a few clicks to warm it up or cool down before you enter. Likewise the horn and lights can be activated to help find it in a busy car park.