BMW plans to extend its partially automated driving into city streets from 2027, starting in Germany. With route guidance active in BMW Maps, the system will help with turning, urban lane changes, right-of-way situations and roundabouts. Other countries will follow gradually.

How it works

  • It is still SAE Level 2. The functions only work while the system detects that the driver is paying attention.
  • BMW says type-approval tests under the UN's DCAS Series 2 rules have been completed in real traffic by an independent technical service.
  • Stopping and starting at traffic lights is already possible with City Assistant in Germany.
  • "Symbiotic Drive" lets the driver steer, brake or accelerate at any time without switching the system off, BMWBLOG explains.

Which cars

The hardware is standard on the new iX3 and iX4 and on all versions of the 3 Series, 7 Series and X5. Owners can activate functions after purchase, with the software delivered over the air.

The Tesla comparison

The plan puts BMW in the same supervised, city-capable category as Tesla's FSD (Supervised). BMW's urban functions are still a year away.