At Ces in Las Vegas, BMW unvelis the i Vision Dee, a concept car that anticipates a 100% electric saloon of the future (perhaps it could be the new 3 Series) of medium dimensions, with innovative content and inaugurating a new stylistic season for the manufacturer, based on essentiality. The name ‘Dee’ stands for Digital Emotional Experience, and that is precisely its aim: to create an even stronger bond between people and their cars in the future. The model is based on the new Neue Klasse platform that will equip all electric BMWs of the future.
With this concept car, Bmw also presents an update of its colour changing technology. After presenting the iX Flow with E Ink at Ces 2021, with the possibility of switching from black to white, the i Vision Dee can now customise its exterior with 32 different colours. Debuting with the model is the Bmw Mixed Reality Slider which, in combination with the full-width Head-up Display, is the i Vision Dee’s digital highlight and central operating control. Using shy-tech sensors on the dashboard, drivers can decide how much digital content they want to see on the Head-Up Display. The five-step selection ranges from analogue, driving-related information, communication system content, augmented reality projections and entry into virtual worlds. At the same time, dimming windows can also be used to gradually blur reality.
The design of the i Vision Dee has been deliberately simplified to focus on the digital experience and brand DNA. The exterior features the classic three-box saloon design: traditional design elements such as the double kidney grille, twin circular headlights and Hofmeister elbow have been reimagined, with digital icons replacing analogue elements. This gives the BMW i Vision Dee a digital, yet human character. “With the i Vision Dee, we demonstrate how the car can be seamlessly integrated into your digital life and become a trusted companion. The vehicle itself becomes your portal to the digital world, with the driver always in command,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, head of Bmw Group Design.
Inside, digitisation goes hand in hand with the essential use of materials, controls and displays to ensure that nothing distracts from the digital experience and the new feeling of greater driving pleasure. The unconventional design of the steering wheel, with its central vertical spoke, creates contact points that come to life when approached or touched and can be operated by moving the thumb. These digital touch points control the selection of content projected onto the windscreen and, together with the Head-Up Display, enable safe driving: hands on the wheel, eyes on the road.
