Infotainment System Euphoria…

So, my mother just bought herself a 2024 BMW X2. Now, BMW has long been one of what I like to call our “Family Brands.” I’m familiar with all the models and features like the back of my hand. The advances in car tech these days are mind-blowing. Cars can practically drive you, call the dealer when they need a checkup, and even let you drive on flat tires like it’s no big deal. But keeping up with all that tech? Well, that’s a whole different story.

These days, I prefer leasing cars, mainly because the technology is evolving faster than my Netflix recommendations. Still, despite having a pretty new car myself, I was completely floored by the tech upgrades in what I’m dubbing SURROUND SAFETY on my mom’s new ride.

Surround Safety is basically your car showing off with a visual of itself in a space, complete with audio alerts for how close you’re getting to obstacles. Sure, I’ve had proximity sensors in my own car before, but BMW? Oh, they’ve taken it up a notch—or ten. The infotainment system now creates a photo-realistic rendering of your car and displays real-time distance markers showing how close you are to everything around you.

My car gives me a handy top-down view, which is a lifesaver when I’m pulling out of the garage. I always back in, so when I’m heading out, it shows me whether I’ve cleared the entrance enough to close the garage door without any drama. It might seem like a small feature, but trust me—I use it all the time. So when I saw it on my mom’s car, I was excited. But of course, BMW took it even further by factoring in proximity warnings for inside the garage.

As someone who designs user experiences for a living, I was absolutely euphoric seeing how this tech enhances not just the experience but the safety of the brand. It’s that rare blend of intuitive design and real-world benefit that makes me appreciate good UX—and let’s be real, it keeps me from running into the garage wall.

Take this feature on BMW (and I’m sure plenty of other cars) that “corrects” your steering if you veer across the median line. One day, I was driving down a road near my house, and there was a cyclist in my lane. When it was safe, I steered around the cyclist, moving slightly out of my lane. The BMW I was driving (not my car, by the way) decided to correct me and pull me back into the lane. I nearly lost it! What am I supposed to do in that situation? I was literally fighting with the car. I’M DRIVING, NOT YOU! Thankfully, the cyclist turned onto another road, but I immediately pulled over and started flipping through the driver’s manual to figure out how to turn that feature off. These are the moments when I think technology can overstep and actually hurt more than help. Or maybe—just maybe—I should have taken the BMW Genius up on his offer to walk me through the new features, instead of brushing it off with, “Duh, I got this! This ain’t my first rodeo!”

Here’s a cool Youtube video to show you the GOOD surround safety. Have a look to see it in action!