BMW will expand assisted driving to urban roads from 2027. Germany will be the first market, followed by other countries. The new functions will work with active navigation through BMW Maps and will be part of the BMW Symbiotic Drive system. The assistant will help with turning, changing lanes in urban environments, yielding to vehicles with right of way and navigating roundabouts. Combined with the existing Motorway Assistant, this will allow the vehicle to follow a navigation route from the motorway, through country roads and into an urban area. BMW points out that the new technology does not turn the vehicles into fully autonomous vehicles, and the system may stop providing assistance.
“By expanding the functions for partially automated driving to urban areas, we will offer customers a real improvement in travel comfort,” said Joachim Post, a member of the BMW AG Board of Management responsible for development. According to him, the assistant will support the driver along the entire navigation route – from the motorway, through country roads and into the city.
The necessary technical equipment will be installed at the factory in the new BMW iX3, iX4, X5, 3 Series and 7 Series. One of the components is the BMW Panoramic Vision system, which displays the assistant’s status and the upcoming automated manoeuvre within the driver’s field of vision. Activation will take place via an over-the-air software update. BMW says the functions can also be enabled after the vehicle has been purchased, provided the model has the necessary hardware. The company has not announced the exact launch date in 2027, nor when the expansion to other countries will begin.
BMW reports that the real-traffic testing required for type approval under the updated UNECE R171 regulation has been successfully completed. Official confirmation is expected at the beginning of 2027. The existing City Assistant can already stop at a red traffic light and move off when the light turns green. The new generation will add more complex urban situations, with the company describing the interaction between the vehicle and the driver as “symbiotic” – the person can accelerate, brake or turn while the assistant continues to help with steering. Whether software activation will incur an additional charge or be offered through a monthly subscription remains unconfirmed. The exact terms will be announced by BMW when the service launches.