BMW announced that it will start rolling out a new Remote Software Upgrade campaign for over 2 million cars worldwide. This will be the second biggest such endeavor from the Bavarian car maker that did the same operation last year but for over 2.5 million cars.
According to the German manufacturer, the new software version will bring key improvements to their vehicles and will cover all types of cars, not just electric ones. This implies the introduction of new features and better software for internal combustion engine models as well as plug-in hybrids.
Eligible cars have already started getting notifications about the new software availability on Monday. Owners and driver are prompted about the new version in the iDrive system and can perform the upgrade themselves, without having to take a trip down to the local dealer. At first, the campaign will kick off in Germany and quickly expand to other markets worldwide.
As for the upgrades themselves, BMW says that one of the key improvements brought on by the new software will be related to driver assistance functions. The new version will ‘eliminate unnecessary steering interventions’ on the Lane Departure Warning system, for example. Furthermore, the Assisted View function, that displays your car and the context around it on the road in the digital dashboard, will also be improved. This feature will now also work while driving through fog and in China, where it wasn’t available in the past. Another upgrade includes better on-route traffic predictions, thanks to improved software.
The on-board apps are also getting new functionalities. For example, using the Spotify app installed in the iDrive system will now allow you to browse through podcast playlists, something that was, surprisingly, missing from BMW models so far. According to the Munich-based car maker, the audio quality over Bluetooth for Android devices should also be better once the new software is installed.
It should also be noted that not all BMW models are eligible for the remote software upgrade. You can view the software version and check for available upgrades in the vehicle settings under Remote Software Upgrade. The availability of services and functions depends on the vehicle model and equipment, as well as the software version installed in each country.
