BMW’s latest electric SUV shows just how far the automotive industry has pushed its touchscreen obsession. Its enormous infotainment display doesn’t just handle navigation and entertainment. It replaces many of the physical controls drivers once used without taking their eyes off the road. BMW says the shift reflects changing preferences among younger buyers, but the result feels less intuitive rather than more advanced.
The problem isn’t touchscreens themselves, but the industry’s growing tendency to use them for everything. Physical buttons and switches remain quicker and easier to operate for common functions, while deleting them can make even an expensive luxury car feel unnecessarily complicated. The iX3 takes this philosophy to an extreme, turning simple interactions into menu dives and offering a clear example of why bigger screens aren’t always better.
In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various automaker websites and other authoritative sources.
The new BMW iX3 takes touchscreen controls to the next level
Even the simplest thing is done digitally
BMW has recently introduced an electric version of the X3, which they have aptly named the iX3. The German brand has been pretty radical in terms of the design, both inside and out, and it has garnered some mixed reviews. One thing that they have leaned into more than just about any other brand on the market is the infotainment screen. Unfortunately, they have taken it more than one step too far here.
Physical controls are completely gone
In the iX3, sitting next to the world’s most over-designed steering wheel, is a 17.9-inch infotainment screen. The massive tablet fills out a parallelogram, which I also have mixed feelings about visually. It comes loaded with some of BMW’s most cutting-edge technology, from advanced AI voice assistants to a bevy of built-in applications. Unfortunately, the infotainment system is also used to control some very basic functions in the cabin, which we think detracts from the overall experience.
BMW has decided that everything in the cabin needs to be controlled via the touchscreen. There is no strip of physical climate controls, like you get in a lot of other modern vehicles, and there is no rotary dial on the center console for those that don’t like touchscreens. They’ve taken this to a new extreme with the iX3. Even the climate vents are devoid of a physical tab for adjustment, and require you to go into a menu on the touchscreen.
In-car advertising in a luxury SUV
While this isn’t unique to the iX3, we think BMW’s latest marketing stunt is definitely worth mentioning. A couple of weeks ago, BMW drivers climbing behind the wheel were greeted by an advertisement for the new Spider-Man movie, Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Many were outraged that their luxury vehicles, which cost tens of thousands of dollars, featured an advertisement that took up the whole infotainment screen. This is a trend that the new iX3 definitely plays into, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see more stunts like this in the future.
BMW blames young drivers for the shift away from physical buttons
Apparently, it’s all generational
A lot of people have been vocal about their disdain for the fact that automakers are moving away from physical buttons, with more and more buyers joining the crusade against the overreliance on touchscreens. BMW has heard these outcries loud and clear and seems to have an explanation for their decision, but it’s not one that many are likely to accept.
Those darn young people
In an interview with CarExpert, the CEO of BMW Australia, Vikram Pawah, claims that the move towards touchscreens has nothing to do with cost savings and instead is centered around younger generations.
We can see that voice and touch are becoming more and more common,” … “Maybe it’s a generational thing as well. You would see that a lot of the younger generation, maybe 45 or below, they’re tapped into these technologies at a faster pace, using voice, using touch.
He claims that BMW’s customer base is evolving and that they want to be able to do things quickly and to multitask while on the move. Safety concerns aside, we think this shows that the brand has become a little out of touch with their customer base.
Massive touchscreens are a trend that detract from the driving experience
BMW isn’t the only brand following this trend
While the iX3 and its digitally controlled air vents is one of the most obvious examples of the touchscreen trend going too far, it isn’t the only offender. There are a number of other automakers on the market that are ditching physical controls and investing in massive touchscreens instead. I think it is more transparent than these automakers think, and that buyers recognize it as a cost-saving exercise above anything else.
A trend that is making modern cars worse
I have nothing against the inclusion of a touchscreen in a car, but I think that it needs to be done in the right way in order to add to the experience rather than detracting from it. Buyers aren’t stupid, and deleting buttons and switches in favor of a massive screen makes cars feel cheaper. It’s especially bad when it’s done in high-end luxury vehicles like the iX3, but it doesn’t help mainstream options either.
The new iX3 shifts BMW away from its identity and towards something new
It became clear when BMW debuted its current generation of vehicles that their cars were becoming less tactile and more digital. The brand has been slowly shifting away from its sporting heritage and towards an era where cars are appliances that get you from A to B with as little input from you as possible. The iX3 is yet another step in that direction, and demonstrates very clearly how the touchscreen trend in vehicles has gotten out of hand.
