Photo: BMW
This past summer, new on-board technology upgrades were rolled out to BMW customers that own vehicles with iDrive 7-powered infotainment systems. These updates include the iDrive 7-compatible Amazon Alexa function, the Uneven Road Surface Warning system and Remote Engine Start on demand.
By integrating Amazon Alexa into iDrive 7, occupants can now ask Alexa to send directions, play a favorite song, remotely control their smart home and plenty more, without having to leave their vehicle or use their hands in order to push any buttons.
You can even ask Alexa to play your favorite playlist, add items to your grocery list or simply to tell you a joke, and the online personal assistant will respond instantly.
In order to access this function, you need to make sure that your in-vehicle software is level 21-03 or newer. In order to check, just go to Apps > Settings > General Settings > Remote Software Upgrade in iDrive. If you don’t have the Remote Software Upgrade option, you can still check your software level through your local BMW Center.
Moving on to Remote Engine Start, while this feature has been available in BMW vehicles since the 2019 model year, it is now also available on-demand, where you can purchase it via the ConnectedDrive Store for compatible vehicles that weren’t originally fitted with this option.
To activate Remote Engine Start, simply tap a button in the My BMW app and your car’s engine will fire up so that you can either cool or warm the vehicle before getting in. Remote Engine Start can also be operated using the BMW key fob through a triple-click of the lock button.
Last but certainly not least is the Uneven Road Surface Warning, which works in vehicles equipped with Live Cockpit Professional and the 20-07 software or newer. This feature will flash a warning either on the instrument panel or on your Head-Up Display, if the car has one.
Notifications will then pop up, telling you whether you’re about to encounter a single uneven road surface or a rough road area within 25 miles of the first event. In order to qualify for such a notification, the road ahead has to feature potholes, speedbumps, sewer covers or other/similar irregularities.
You can even ask Alexa to play your favorite playlist, add items to your grocery list or simply to tell you a joke, and the online personal assistant will respond instantly.
In order to access this function, you need to make sure that your in-vehicle software is level 21-03 or newer. In order to check, just go to Apps > Settings > General Settings > Remote Software Upgrade in iDrive. If you don’t have the Remote Software Upgrade option, you can still check your software level through your local BMW Center.
Moving on to Remote Engine Start, while this feature has been available in BMW vehicles since the 2019 model year, it is now also available on-demand, where you can purchase it via the ConnectedDrive Store for compatible vehicles that weren’t originally fitted with this option.
To activate Remote Engine Start, simply tap a button in the My BMW app and your car’s engine will fire up so that you can either cool or warm the vehicle before getting in. Remote Engine Start can also be operated using the BMW key fob through a triple-click of the lock button.
Last but certainly not least is the Uneven Road Surface Warning, which works in vehicles equipped with Live Cockpit Professional and the 20-07 software or newer. This feature will flash a warning either on the instrument panel or on your Head-Up Display, if the car has one.
Notifications will then pop up, telling you whether you’re about to encounter a single uneven road surface or a rough road area within 25 miles of the first event. In order to qualify for such a notification, the road ahead has to feature potholes, speedbumps, sewer covers or other/similar irregularities.
Google News