BMW iX Named a 2022 Wards 10 Best Interiors

Bennett  Oghifo

This week, BMW announced the BMW iX has earned a Wards 10 Best Interiors and UX award for 2022.

The first-ever all-electric BMW iX arrived on the market in the first quarter of 2022 and showcased a design unlike anything ever seen before from BMW, according to a statement by the automaker. 

The modern, minimalist interior features very few buttons and switches. Instead, the space is dominated by the sweeping BMW Curved Display composed of a 12.3-inch information display and a 14.9-inch control display, brought together behind a single glass surface angled towards the driver.

BMW’s latest iDrive, powered by Operating System 8, utilizes natural speech recognition, an ultra-responsive touch screen, and intuitive, high-resolution graphics to make all of the iX’s advanced infotainment, navigation, and driver assistance systems accessible and usable to the driver and passenger. As a result, the interior remains clean and uncluttered. The frameless design of the BMW Curved Display brings a sense of openness to an already spacious cabin.

But the iX is also a premium luxury vehicle. The technology is presented in an environment highlighted by elegant aesthetics, high-quality materials, and innovative design. Imaginative use of colors, surfaces, and materials, assembled to an exceptionally high standard create an interior design like no other. The seat controls, iDrive rotary control, and the volume control for the audio system may be finished in cut glass. Traditional wood, when fitted, is used sparingly; instead, distinctive matte Gold Bronze trim highlights the dashboard and door panels. Though the overall concept is clearly tech-forward, the use of colors and materials creates a calming atmosphere of warmth, rejuvenation, and comfort.

“We are grateful to the WardsAuto jurors for their recognition of the hard work of our designers and engineers around the world.” said Andreas Meyer, Vice President BMW Product Management Americas. “BMW first introduced the concept of iDrive twenty years ago, and with today’s eighth generation, it is truly the most intuitive interface in the industry. We want to provide our customers a top-level digital experience, one that easily makes their vehicle a natural extension of their existing digital ecosystem. The iX succeeds in doing this while placing them in a comfortable, contemporary interior that allows them to relax and focus on the joy and pleasure of driving.”

Underlying the trailblazing digitalization and avant-garde interior design of the BMW iX is a commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. Econyl, produced from recycled fishing nets and other plastic waste, is used for the carpets, floormats, and headliner. The leather covering the seating surfaces is tanned using olive leaf extract rather than harsh chemicals, or customers may choose to cover the seats in cloth that uses natural wool fibers. The backs of the textile materials throughout the interior are made of 85 percent recycled material.

“From its Anthracite headliner to its augmented-reality head-up display, the BMW iX earns a 2022 Wards 10 Best Interiors and UX award for literally wowing us at every turn,” said Bob Gritzinger, Editor-in-Chief at WardsAuto. “In place of the buttoned-down and businesslike interior to which we’ve become accustomed, BMW instead employs avant-garde designs, sustainable materials, smart user interfaces and concert-level immersive sound to create the iX’s award winner.”