Goodbye, rotary knob: how the new BMW X5 interior leaves the old iDrive behind

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Spy shots of the next-generation BMW X5 interior have leaked online, and the most striking change is the disappearance of the classic physical iDrive controller. For BMW this is an almost symbolic step: one of the most recognisable cabin details is making way for a new digital architecture.

The photos also show that the new X5 will get a panoramic display stretching across almost the entire lower edge of the windscreen. In front of the driver on the test car you can see a technical opening for the new 3D head-up display. The air vents will change too: there will be no more manual airflow direction sliders, with adjustment moved into the central screen. The split centre armrest is being kept, however.

The size of the central display has not yet been confirmed. The latest BMW i3, iX3 and 3 Series use a 17.9-inch touchscreen, but the manufacturer has not yet officially announced that diagonal for the X5. The direction is already clear, though: BMW is making the cabin closer to Neue Klasse, where the main interaction with the car shifts to the screen, projection and voice control.

For buyers this is a divisive update. On one hand, the cabin looks more modern and works better as a showroom wow factor. On the other, the X5 is not bought as an experimental gadget but as an expensive family SUV for motorway, city and long-distance driving. In cars like that the physical iDrive controller was convenient precisely because it allowed menu control on the move, without poking the screen on a bumpy road.

Against the Mercedes GLE, Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90, the new X5 risks splitting its audience even more sharply. Mercedes has long staked its case on large screens and a flashy MBUX, Audi traditionally balances a digital cabin with strict ergonomics, while BMW used to win on the feel of «driver-first» logic. If climate and basic function control becomes too screen-heavy, some owners may see it not as progress but as complexity for design’s sake.

The more functions in a premium SUV are tied to displays, projections and software, the more weight diagnostics, updates and electronics repair costs carry. The new X5 may become more technological, but the old iDrive knob is not disappearing as just a detail — with it goes the familiar way of operating a BMW blind.