BMW plans city driving help for its cars starting in 2027

BMW plans to bring city driving help to its cars in 2027. It will launch first in Germany, with other markets to follow. The system can steer, speed up and slow down on city streets, not just highways. It is BMW's answer to Tesla's Full Self-Driving, but the driver stays in charge.

What changed

Until now, the most common version of this kind of help has been on highways. BMW is extending it to towns. It uses the car's built-in GPS navigation to guide the driving. In the city, BMW says it can help with:

• Changing lanes
• Making turns
• Yielding to other cars
• Driving through roundabouts

What drivers still have to do

This is a Level 2 system. That is an industry label for driver assist that does part of the work while the person behind the wheel stays responsible. Drivers must keep their eyes on the road and be ready to take over at any moment. On highways, BMW will allow hands off the wheel. On local roads, hands must stay on it.

BMW says the system works with the driver instead of against them. You can steer, brake or speed up at any time without switching it off. The car also shows what it sees and what it is doing, on the heads-up display and in a 3D map on the main screen.

Who it affects

Owners of newer BMWs may not need new hardware. The cameras and sensors already come built into models like the 3 Series, 7 Series, X5, iX3 and iX4. BMW can switch the feature on through an over-the-air software update, meaning it arrives by internet, like a phone update. BMW has not said which other markets will follow Germany, or what it will cost.

The safety concern

Safety researchers are worried about driver attention. The article reports compelling evidence that, regardless of the company, most driver-assist systems are less safe than normal human driving. Drivers tend to rely on them too much, even after a short time. When they must take back control, their reactions are slower than what is considered safe.

Responsibility is also unsettled. BMW, like Tesla, stresses that the driver remains responsible. Yet some Tesla customers have successfully argued in court that the company bears some responsibility for crashes.

What happens next

The system follows new European safety rules that let cars suggest and carry out automated moves on city streets for the first time. BMW says outside experts have road-tested the setup and confirmed it meets the technical standards. Final official government approval is expected in early 2027.