BMW's upcoming iNext electric crossover isn't set to enter production until 2021, so it's not really surprising why BMW hasn't revealed a lot of details about it. Today, however, we get a hint of what the car's inside looks like.
Likely to be called the BMW i5 in production form, the iNext is quickly becoming a technological tour de force for the Bavarian marque. It will take quite a while before its release, but the company is bent on keeping us on our toes and have already kicked off the teaser campaign giving us an inside look at the cabin where a huge display is featured.
BMW on Tuesday previewed the centerpiece of the iNext's interior: a massive curved display. In its press release, BMW says that this huge display will serve as the interior' primary control element. However, it's still unclear if every function will be accessible through this screen. We'll have to wait for more information to find out.
With the mounting point located directly behind the screen, it'll likely appear to float above the dashboard, a design element that's been growing in popularity as automakers shove ever-larger screens into cars.
It would seem that the screen will be directly in view of the driver for the most important information, similar to many dual-screen setups that have grown to include the gauge cluster. According to BMW, while the design may make the whole system appear oriented toward the driver, the passenger will still be able use what's on the infotainment system. The automaker says assengers and drivers will be able to swap specific bits of info between both sides of the screen, which would represent a pretty dramatic departure from BMW's current iDrive infotainment system.
"The curved display is set in high-quality materials and is virtually freely suspended on the instrument panel," said BMW design head Domagoj Dukec. "This makes it a key element in terms of the modern, luxurious and generous sense of space in the BMW iNext"
BMW is not the first automaker to implement an extra-wide display as the upcoming Honda E electric city car will also have a giant screen almost as wide as the dashboard. However, the EV from Japan is going to boast several individual screens rather than the cohesive one-piece setup of the iNext / i5.
The BMW iNext will enter production in Dingolfing, BMW's largest production facility, in 2021. It'll be the automaker's first proper EV crossover, likely doing battle against the Mercedes-Benz EQC and the Audi E-Tron.
