BMW’s Neue Klasse interior design marks a bold shift from tradition — and at the heart of it lies the so-called “Magic Triangle.” Here’s how BMW is reshaping cockpit interaction with futuristic tech and focused ergonomics.
Neue Klasse cars and SUVs are coming sooner than you think, and it doesn’t take an enthusiast or designer to see that it’s a pretty radical departure from what you’re used to in BMWs. At first glance, hardly anything on the exterior makes it obvious that it’s a BMW. And inside, well, the lack of a traditional gauge cluster kind of says everything you need to know. But unfamiliarity doesn’t mean BMW ‘s designers didn’t do their homework. In fact, the cockpit is structured in a very specific way. One that designer Florian Sieve, Interior Design Manager for Neue Klasse, dubbed “the Magic Triangle.”
The Magic Triangle in Neue Klasse Design
Somewhat obviously, the Magic Triangle refers to three points that drivers primarily interact with in the Neue Klasse. The first is the Panoramic Vision display, the heads-up display running the length of the windshield. In fact, it began life as the “P-HUD” before marketing got ahold of the technology. The second is the steering wheel, which is unique for a few reasons. It’s squared off and features only two real spokes running from 12 o’clock to six o’clock. At three and nine o’clock, you’ll find two button clusters that control a variety of in-car systems. More importantly, using a swipe motion, you can change what’s displayed on the different screens. Which brings us to the last point in the Magic Triangle: the center display. It works in tandem with the heads-up display, relaying whatever information the driver sees fit.
Why the Magic Triangle Works
The philosophy is that the road is never out of sight of the front seat’s occupants, as the information displayed is primarily controlled by the two touchpads on the steering wheel. In fact, it’s exactly where the “eyes on the road, hands on the wheel” motto BMW coined in 2023 came from. Everything is within view of the driver, and everything is switchable without taking your eyes off the road. And in that regard, the design succeeds.
A New Standard for Driver-Centric Interiors
And just for the record, the Neue Klasse’s design choices surrounding the Magic Triangle were extremely specific. The parallelogram-looking center screen was a conscious choice. Kai Langer, head of the BMW i Design team recalls the screens as being “phenomenally expensive.” They were apparently ordered as 20 handmade pieces. “The idea was that while MINI has a circular display and everyone seems to have big, flat, square displays, that’s not really BMW’s style,” he said. We’ve seen some of these design ideas already in the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X.
Much of this insight comes from Steve Saxty’s meticulously researched book BMW by Design, which offers a rare look into the creative minds behind BMW’s most iconic models.
