[Ziosella]

Let me understand one thing about the screens. Are all the media/climate etc controllable with the idrive wheel in the tunnel or only via touch screen? It is important because in a sports car a tall person like me sits low and far away, I could never reach the screen with comfort while driving. Voice command becomes essential at this point. However I think the new Mercedes solution developed in C-klasse is more ergonomic. And more aestehtic too.

[Cortexiphan]

The gear shifter: It's not an easy transition for most of us. Personally for me, coming from MT cars in the past, this looks/feels incomplete to me. I really like to use the shifter especially in winding roads, where pedals are moving around as the I'm turning the steering right and left, the shifter is more assuring and comfortable to use.

On the other hand from a functionality & design standpoint, tiny gear shifter makes sense: it takes way less space, at the same plane with other buttons. Considering most drivers don't use the gear lever than other buttons, the gear shifter doesn't need to get emphasized and come out from the dash like a stick at this point. Overall, it's probably the right decision but I don't like it

[M4Ghost]

I love it

[GTF]

Originally Posted by Quadruple VANOS

The new tiny shift lever means shifting the drivetrain to S/M mode is a lot more difficult to find by feel now. Instead of quickly moving the traditional lever leftward (say, as I approach an off ramp), we'll have to feel for that little lever. This is my biggest issue. It might just push me to the M2.

Personally I like the floating dashboard more than the outgoing version of all-digital dashboard. Elsewhere the design of a floating image/screen in space has long been established as desirable. Cars aren't really any different. I understand BMW's moving to this direction.

PSA: the 1-8 presets are now digital, and accessed by an upward swipe on the screen.

That the 1-8 presets remain (digital) is good news...they also brought back the auto off delete button.

[IanW555]

Looks like the G8x keeps the stick?

[evo213f10]

Tesla wanna be interior? Sorry, BMW, the new dash screen reminds me of a Tesla..........Not sure id the consumer will be buying a "BMW" or a "Tesla."

[R2i3a]

Not a shot at the new i drive software itself, but rather have a seperate screen for infotainment and the gear selector was a must. Could tap it over at any moment for sport, so convenient. Also, just feels more engaging when a traditional selector is there. Now the exterior looks aren't as bad as they looked in the china photos, but I still think the pre lci has the edge on it. This looks less aggressive that's all

[Quadruple VANOS]

Weird that BMW's official press package doesn't include M340i images.

https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/usa/a...series-touring

[ramparts]

Originally Posted by IanW555

Looks like the G8x keeps the stick?

Finally a logical reason to force the g80 purchase haha

[zazzau]

Besides the billboard screen - as another poster put it - the bigger concern for someone like me is I hate fingerprint marks on my touchscreen. I've used mine a total of once - the first and last time being the day I picked up the car new. Between the center console knob, preset keys, physical buttons and voice assistant, I NEVER have to touch the screen.

With almost all functionality on LCI going "touch," I just couldn't live with the fingerprint marks on daily drives. Even the presets are embedded into the touchscreen. Not my cup of tea exactly.

[Haywood187]

I'm not feeling it at the moment. Why get rid of the shifter? When I switch to manual mode, I rarely use the paddles. I'm always using the shifter cause I'm an old stick shift guy and even if it's not a manual, I like the feeling of 'shifting'. I like the screens, but then think about using them and being in the car with them and I lose interest. Give me tactile buttons, dont make me dick with a touchscreen to adjust climate controls. Don't get rid of my instrument "cluster" built into the dash. I don't want a tablet setup in front of me in the car. I do that with my iPad at my kitchen table already. The face, I see positives, but the mouthy look is meh to me. The rear, I'm not digging that at all. I see positives, but I'm glad I got the 2022.

[Mani59]

AutoTopNL takes a look at the G20 LCI in Individual Frozen Pure Grey II.

[R2i3a]

Originally Posted by Mani59

AutoTopNL takes a look at the G20 LCI in Individual Frozen Pure Grey II.

Best looking one I've seen so far. Only complaint exterior wise is the diffuser. The front looks similar to the 5 lci now

[iifymbro]

Originally Posted by zazzau

Besides the billboard screen - as another poster put it - the bigger concern for someone like me is I hate fingerprint marks on my touchscreen. I've used mine a total of once - the first and last time being the day I picked up the car new. Between the center console knob, preset keys, physical buttons and voice assistant, I NEVER have to touch the screen.

With almost all functionality on LCI going "touch," I just couldn't live with the fingerprint marks on daily drives. Even the presets are embedded into the touchscreen. Not my cup of tea exactly.

and worse, the presets are accessed by swiping your finger down/up the screen so there's gunna be big smear marks across it all the time if you use them

[Tallest]

square tv screens slapped on dash are LAZY design. sorry.

car looks even MORE agressive. Should be liked by some here very much.

[Cortexiphan]

Originally Posted by P1

Incorrect. Massive cost savings by gluing on two Amazon Fire Tablets vs. traditional and superior dashboard. Think about it: a single screen connected to a computer controls everything vs. multiple control looms all over the vehicle. It's cheap, end of discussion.

No it's not. And you don't get to say "End of discussion." on a topic you don't know anything about.

I've been project managing HW & SW development projects for 15 years. Wiring + Button costs are measured in cents. Screen + Processor in hundreds of dollars. SW development is millions of dollars.
An example: A plastic Windows PC is like $200 to build, whereas the lowest end iPad BOM is $375. But I guess a typical dinosaur would look at the iPad and say "Oh look they're cutting costs, where are my buttons'

Also, the only controls that are 'lost' are right under the screen, not all around the vehicle.

A pre-LCI 3 series BOM is ABSOLUTELY lower than the LCI model. However, realisticly, the difference overall would be negligible in the long run, but I'm not the one who brought this ignorant 'They're cutting cost' theory.

End of discussion.

[VICG20M]

The gear selector is awful! Can't switch to S and use it for manual shifts!

[JSaid]

Originally Posted by Cortexiphan

No it's not. And you don't get to say "End of discussion." on a topic you don't know anything about.

I've been project managing HW & SW development projects for 15 years. Wiring + Button costs is measured in cents. Screen + Processor in hundreds of dollars. SW development is millions of dollars.

Also, the only controls that are 'lost' are right under the screen, not all around the vehicle.

It sounds like you don't know anything about build costs. End of discussion.

It's not like the software was created specifically for the 3 series, it's for every bmw. You can't consider that when looking at the 3 series lci specifically.

They took a generic solution for every model and cheaply slapped it into a place where it didn't fit with no consideration to the design language around it. Sure the single screen may be more expensive, but costs were cut elsewhere to make up for it (for example dashboard design). IMO they should have been two separate displays with the same resolution and sizing, or a single edge to edge bezel-less display but either of those would probably cost way more.

Also software can cost millions but still doesn't mean it will be good (see Microsoft). I'm a software engineer and really not impressed with the Ui

[Cortexiphan]

Originally Posted by JSaid

It's not like the software was created specifically for the 3 series, it's for every bmw. You can't consider that when looking at the 3 series lci specifically.

They took a generic solution for every model and cheaply slapped it into a place where it didn't fit with no consideration to the design language around it. Sure the single screen may be more expensive, but costs were cut elsewhere to make up for it (for example dashboard design). IMO they should have been two separate displays with the same resolution and sizing, or a single edge to edge bezel-less display but either of those would probably cost way more.

Also software can cost millions but still doesn't mean it will be good (see Microsoft). I'm a software engineer and really not impressed with the Ui

I wasn't talking about how I like the UI or not. I'm talking about costs, and the new one would cost more.

But, IMO, BMW has the second best UI in the industry, behind Tesla, but it's still not great. And bezel-less display would be great too, but if you look at it the current bezels. they are way smaller than the previous display, the brightness is way higher (especially the display in front of the driver), the resolution appears to be higher, and overall animations and speed are also vastly improved. So there's absolutely no doubt in my mind that this display would cost multiple times the old ones, (Not two times, more) so would the SOC. Also, even though the placement seems weird in the pics, almost everyone who experienced it IRL likes the way it floats and curves, including me.

[JSaid]

Originally Posted by Cortexiphan

I wasn't talking about how I like the UI or not. I'm talking about costs, and the new one would cost more.

But, IMO, BMW has the second best UI in the industry, behind Tesla, but it's still not great. And bezel-less display would be great too, but if you look at it the current bezels. they are way smaller than the previous display, the brightness is way higher (especially the display in front of the driver), the resolution appears to be higher, and overall animations and speed are also vastly improved. So there's absolutely no doubt in my mind that this display would cost multiple times the old ones, (Not two times, more) so would the SOC. Also, even though the placement seems weird in the pics, almost everyone who experienced it IRL likes the way it floats and curves, including me.

Why can't we talk about the UI, isn't this thread all opinions?? Lmao animations and speed are better but that's expected in 2022-2023. And designs are all subjective they basically just created a giant app menu and cartoony designs imo, nothing special.

I'm not saying the physical screen doesn't cost more than the last one, I'm saying no thought was given to integration. If you like it more power to you but I know a lot of ppl hate the iPad tacked on look as do I. As said before it looks lazy and cheap. Like an afterthought .

Costs yes the screen costs more but they didn't invest anything into R&D to redesign the dash and integrate it well. And the screen was designed for EVERY bmw not just the 3 series. They designed iDrive 8 then decided to cost cut on the 3 series lci and just slap it on instead of reworking the dash. They were able to bring iDrive 8 to the 3 series at a lower cost

The plastic bumper inserts feel cheaper too but maybe I'm wrong.

Again if you like it more power to you place an order

[Ugly Kar]

I wish these headlights and tailights were on the new 240. That would have made a much nicer looking 240. Not much else thrills me.

And no way in hell do I buy a car that has a tacky long ipad that looks like it was purchased at bargain basement electronics and sickly mounts that look like they were purchased at Dollar Family? Why does BMW insist on becoming more like Tata?

Shame on BMW.

[B58-M340iX]

Originally Posted by InfinitiG20

Are laser lights available?

Laser light option was removed entirely for G20 LCI. You'll have nicer DRLs along with the adaptive LEDs, but no laser beams.