The technology in BMW Neue Klasse points to a safer immediate future

Automotive safety technology has made great strides over the last few years. From cars with no active driver-assistance systems at all, to having a very comprehensive catalogue of ADAS. And now, with the arrival of the BMW Neue Klasse, the German brand is taking these driving-related systems a long way forward.

BMW’s philosophy, “Smart, Symbiotic, Safe“, allows the brand to focus on the implementation of driver-assistance systems, but not only at that moment. Parking and pulling out of a space are also among the situations in which these driver-assistance systems act.

The data obtained from the voluntary monitoring of driving habits of BMW’s electric vehicles show that these systems are very efficient and avoid many risk situations. The monitored fleet, whose data is sent voluntarily and anonymously, has covered 1.6 billion kilometres over one month. During that time, drivers were warned of possible collisions on around eight million occasions, by means of acoustic and visual signals.

The ADAS intervened on steering and automatic braking on 243,977 occasions to avoid collisions and damage. This system is called BMW Symbiotic Drive and is designed for the Neue Klasse. It works in coordination with the driver and the vehicle in an intuitive way.

This means that the system understands the driver’s intentions through their driving mode and the direction of their gaze, so that it can anticipate risk situations only when necessary. One of the systems included in this catalogue of driver-assistance features is accident prevention when opening the door and leaving the vehicle.

Some systems improve safety, including more precise sign recognition, automatic obstacle avoidance, provided it does not create higher-risk situations, and even monitoring of the driver’s state of health. If the driver appears unfit to drive, the vehicle brings itself to a controlled stop to avoid risks.

Technology at the service of the driver

The new generation of sensors transmits data to the improved Assisted View display of the BMW Operating System X. The driving situation is presented with precision and detail. The central screen, Panoramic Vision and the 3D Head-Up Display allow all this traffic data and detected objects to be seen clearly, which improves the ability of the driver-assistance systems to act.

To ensure that all the innovations work perfectly, they have been tested at the “Future Mobility Development Center” (FMDC) test track in Sokolov, Czech Republic. Thanks to these tests, it has been possible to fine-tune the operation of these ADAS and improve their efficiency. The Neue Klasse models are going to enjoy an advanced range of safety and driver-assistance features, some of them beyond what can be found on other similar models.