BMWBLOG was the first to report about the possibility of seeing a front passenger screen in future models. When the Vision Neue Klasse X debuted last month, the German luxury marque told us it was evaluating the possibility of embedding an extra display in the passenger side for the dashboard. A new report states a decision has been taken to cram yet another screen inside the cabin. Rivals Mercedes and Audi are already doing it, so BMW is following suit.

According to a trusted member of the Bimmer Post forums, the 5 Series Sedan will get the front passenger display with the cars produced from March 2027. Around the same time, BMW is rumored to be implementing the Panoramic Vision head-up display into the G60. This high-tech HUD stretching almost the entire width of the dashboard will first appear in the iX3 crossover next year and the i3 sedan in 2026.

Since the 5 Series is potentially getting that supplementary display and the Panoramic Vision, it likely means the luxury sedan will switch to iDrive X. Previewed by the Neue Klasse sedan and crossover concepts, the next iteration of BMW’s infotainment tries to do more with less. It boasts a large center display while eliminating the instrument cluster and most physical controls. The “less is more” effect will be felt even more compared to current cars. For example, the iDrive controller will be absent from Neue Klasse-based EVs.

March 2027 sounds like the right time for the 5 Series to receive a Life Cycle Impulse considering the eighth-generation model would be nearly four years old by then. In the same month, BMW will allegedly put the Panoramic Vision and optional passenger screen inside the M5 G90 Sedan and the M5 G99 Touring, which are both coming out later this year.

China’s long-wheelbase 5 Series Sedan (G68) could follow a couple of months later. Oddly enough, there’s no info about the 5 Series Touring (G61) receiving the new tech but it would make sense for the non-M wagon to get the goodies as well.

The adoption of the Panoramic Vision would align with a statement made in September 2023 by the BMW Group’s senior vice president for connected company development. Speaking with Automotive News Europe, Stephan Durach said the intent is to install the Panoramic Vision HUD in other cars besides Neue Klasse EVs: “You will see it in every car regardless of powertrain.”

Source: Bimmer Post