Dive Brief:
- BMW Group is updating its City Assistant driver assist technology to include additional SAE Level 2 automated driving functions as of next year, per a Nov. 2 press release — as it charts a path towards expanded autonomy in personal vehicles.
- City Assistant, which is currently available on select models in Germany, can already start and stop at traffic lights in urban areas. Soon, it will also help drivers navigate lane changes, roundabouts, right-of-way situations and urban turning maneuvers.
- The automated driving functions will be available on the BMW iX3, iX4 and X5, all 3 Series and 7 Series models, which already have the necessary hardware and can receive the features via over-the-air updates, and future models.
Dive Insight:
With the expansion of City Assistant, BMW has now prepared a package of technologies that, taken together, can partially automate a significant portion of drivers' journeys.
BMW already offers a technology called Motorway Assistant, or Highway Assistant in the U.S., in various markets. The technology allows drivers to take their hands fully off the wheel at speeds up to 130 km/h or 85 mph, depending on the market, while the vehicle uses other features to maintain speed, distance and lane positioning as part of a broader driver assistance package.
“By extending partially automated driving functions to urban areas, we will offer our customers a real improvement in driving comfort — with confident driver assistance in true BMW style,” Joachim Post, Member of the Board of Management of BMW Development, said in a statement. “The system will support them seamlessly along the navigation route, from motorways through country roads and into the city.”
The city and highway assistance technologies also leverage BMW’s Symbiotic Drive, which allows the driver to lightly intervene with steering, braking and acceleration inputs in their preferred driving style, without the system switching off. BMW describes its driver assist technology as having an “almost symbiotic interaction between driver and vehicle,” hence its name.
The Level 2 automated driving features are only available when the system detects that the driver is paying attention to the road ahead, which is based on steering behavior and gaze direction. But other interventions, such as automatic steering, will activate if a driver is unintentionally drifting out of their own lane or if the system detects an imminent collision.
BMW highlighted two other features as part of its driver assistance technology updates. Inside the vehicle, BMW added Panoramic iDrive, a next generation high-definition display showcasing key information within the driver’s field of vision. And on the central display, BMW Maps with Driver Assistance navigation offers a 3D view of surroundings alongside route guidance and driver assistance information.
In its press release, BMW said necessary testing of its automated driving tech in real-world traffic scenarios has already been completed by an independent third party, in accordance with United Nations standards, ahead of its launch next year. However, the tests remain subject to official confirmation in early 2027.
