Massive in-car screens may have already peaked.
Some still believe that a big screen is a luxury feature.
The in-car screen fad took a rather dramatic turn at the end of the last decade when an 8-inch display went from being huge to an entry-level size. Some screens and displays can now be measured in feet but this trend, according to some designers, may soon come to an end.
2023 BMW M760e xDrive | Photo: BMW
We recall when the E65 BMW 7 Series launched with the brand’s iDrive infotainment system. It was nothing short of revolutionary if not a near-complete disaster. Fast-forward two decades 10-inch, 14-inch, and larger displays are the norm. Automakers like Mercedes-Benz and Cadillac boast about the massive real estate taken by these screens and use them as marketable features.
The Drive reports that during a live stream on the car business that included design leads from BMW, Polestar, and more, a question was asked relative to big screens and the business had reached “peak screen.”
On this topic, Head of BMW i Interior Design Matthias Junghanns had plenty to share. “Is it the big screen that counts? I’m personally convinced that these black glass surfaces in the car interiors are… we will leave that behind, sooner or later,” said Junghanns. The designer figures the future belongs to the type of interface “that just appear when you need them, and when you want them.”
If anything, most of these screens are an enormous distraction. We always figured they’d been put into place to help consumers adopt the idea of distracted driving assistance technologies instead of simply driving.
