BMW will offer an expanded portfolio of active safety assistance systems as standard across multiple model series with the launch of the Neue Klasse, with all new active safety, automated driving, and automated parking functions running on a central water-cooled computer the company says carries roughly 20 times the computing power of the previous system. The BMW iX3 was the first Neue Klasse production model to feature the technologies, with the BMW i3, BMW X5, and BMW 7 Series to follow. The functions operate under BMW Symbiotic Drive, which reads steering inputs and driver line of sight so assistance intervenes only when necessary.
Highlights
- Active steering and braking interventions helped prevent a potential collision in 243,977 cases across BMW’s analyzed European fleet in the last month, according to the company.
- That fleet covered about 994 million miles (1.6 billion kilometers) in Europe over the same period and produced roughly 8 million visual and acoustic collision warnings.
- The enhanced exit warning uses side radars and the electronic door lock to delay door opening; the German Insurance Association reported that 8% of Berlin bicycle accidents in 2024 were dooring-related.
- The central “Superbrain of Automated Driving” is water-cooled and, per BMW, delivers approximately 20 times the computing power of the outgoing system.
Standard Fitment Across Multiple Model Series
The Neue Klasse launch marks the first time BMW will offer the expanded active safety portfolio as standard across multiple model series. Under BMW Symbiotic Drive, the system interprets driver intent through steering inputs and line of sight, enabling assistance functions to intervene only when needed.
As a result, functions such as the Lane Keeping Assistant issue warnings or steering interventions only when the vehicle detects an unintended lane departure or an imminent collision. When the driver initiates a maneuver deliberately, the system does not intervene, provided there is no foreseeable risk of a collision or of the vehicle leaving the roadway. Indicators of driver intent include activating the turn signal, making an active steering input, or performing a shoulder check.
“The broad rollout of our new active safety functions as standard is based on our ‘Smart, Symbiotic, Safe’ philosophy. We bring drivers and assistance systems together into a cooperative system that works in harmony. At BMW, active safety functions operate as quiet, intelligent companions in the background, discreet yet highly effective when it matters most in critical situations,” said Dr. Mihiar Ayoubi, Senior Vice President Driving Experience Development at the BMW Group.
The BMW iX3 received a five-star rating in the latest safety test conducted by the independent testing organization Euro NCAP, which BMW says exceeded the required scores. The iX3 was among the first vehicles evaluated under test protocols that were fundamentally revised in 2026.
How Does the New Exit Warning Prevent Dooring Accidents?
Dooring accidents occur when the door of a parked vehicle opens unexpectedly into the traffic lane, a scenario that is particularly dangerous for cyclists. According to the German Insurance Association, 8% of all bicycle accidents in Berlin in 2024 were related to dooring.
Exit warning has been standard equipment on many BMW models for years, alerting drivers to hazards with both audible and visual signals. With the Neue Klasse, the feature adds active door opening delay. Side radars continuously monitor the traffic area around the parked vehicle and detect approaching vehicles, bicycles, or other road users. If a collision risk is detected, the electronic door lock delays the opening of the door until the danger has passed.
New and Enhanced Driving Functions
- Emergency steering intervention — for the first time, automatically steers the vehicle around an obstacle while keeping it within its own lane, for example if a person steps onto the road between two vehicles after a breakdown, or if a cyclist is overlooked in low-light conditions. BMW describes the feature as currently unique among competitors.
- Side-impact avoidance — the same emergency steering intervention applies a brief, active steering input away from a vehicle closing dangerously, within the vehicle’s own lane, where sufficient space to maneuver has been detected.
- Emergency Brake Assistant with evasive steering support — can apply the brakes up to full deceleration to help prevent imminent head-on collisions. Improved sensor technology extends the function to situations involving animals on the road and wildlife crossings.
- Road Priority Warning — displays recognized traffic signs in the BMW Panoramic Vision display directly in the driver’s field of view, now covering crosswalk warnings in addition to red traffic lights, yield signs, stop signs, and no-entry signs.
- Attentiveness Assistant with emergency stop — if the driver camera detects that the driver is no longer fit to drive, the system temporarily takes control, brings the vehicle to a controlled stop, activates the hazard lights, and triggers an eCall. The driver can override the system at any time.
Parking and Maneuvering Functions
- Active Park Distance Control — uses ultrasonic sensors and surround-view cameras, applying the brakes at the rear and, for the first time, at the sides to bring the vehicle to a stop when it detects stationary or moving objects.
- Emergency braking for cross-traffic — covers backing out of a parking space onto a busy street, where visibility is limited. Rear side radars scan the surrounding area, while the rearview camera and bird’s-eye-view display on the Central Display provide additional visibility.
- Start monitoring — standard equipment that detects pedal misapplication, such as confusing the accelerator with the brake. If the system detects an obstacle less than about 3.3 feet (one meter) away at speeds up to 1.2 mph (2 km/h) along with an unusually rapid and forceful depression of the accelerator, it brakes the vehicle in a controlled manner, forward or backward, until it stops.
Fleet Data Behind the Rollout
BMW says analysis of customer-consented data from its connected vehicle fleet demonstrates that these functions contribute to greater road safety. The analysis covers 1.3 million BMW vehicles equipped with the previous generation of driver-assistance technology whose owners consented to data collection.
In the last month alone, the analyzed European fleet covered about 994 million miles (1.6 billion kilometers). Customers were alerted to potential collisions roughly 8 million times through visual and acoustic warnings, and in 243,977 cases active steering and braking interventions helped prevent a potential collision.
Central Computer and the Sokolov Proving Ground
With the BMW iX3 and subsequent models, all new active safety, automated driving, and automated parking functions are managed by the central “Superbrain of Automated Driving,” a water-cooled high-performance computer with approximately 20 times the computing power of the previous system. A new generation of sensors and the improved Assisted View display in BMW Operating System X present the driving situation on the Central Display, the Panoramic Vision, or an optional 3D Head-Up Display, including detected objects and active assistance interventions.
The Future Mobility Development Center (FMDC) in Sokolov, Czech Republic, which opened in 2023, contributed to the development of the new active safety systems and driver-assistance features.
“The Future Mobility Development Center in Sokolov is much more than a proving ground for us. It is a central component of our development strategy enabling us to bring innovations in advanced driving assistance systems to series production quickly, safely and with a clear customer focus. This unique testing environment allows us to recreate real-world driving scenarios under highly demanding and reproducible conditions. As a result, we are reinforcing the BMW Group’s technological leadership for the long term,” said Dr. Martin Sautter, Senior Vice President Vehicle Certification at the BMW Group.
At around 1,483 acres (600 hectares), the BMW Group’s largest proving ground worldwide offers approximately 15.5 miles (25 kilometers) of test tracks for validating driving and traffic scenarios under reproducible conditions, ranging from urban traffic and highway driving to automated parking maneuvers. The facility complements virtual driving simulations and millions of miles of testing on public roads in extreme heat, snow, and ice across Europe, North America, South Africa, and China.
