BMW iX3 at CES 2026 showcased with next-gen tech features

First revealed at the Munich Motor Show with BMW’s Neue Klasse architecture in 2025, the iX3 has now been showcased at CES 2026 with advanced tech features, including an AI-powered personal assistant. While it is the first to get them, BMW announced its entire line-up will be equipped with these technologies by 2027. Without further ado, let us go through BMW’s latest feature set presented at CES 2026 on the BMW iX3.

1. The infotainment and driver-assistance systems are AI-assisted
2. Entertainment options include streaming platforms and games
3. Additional features will arrive with future OTA software updates

BMW iX3: Voice assistant with new AI integration

A large language model enables the AI to understand and process natural human speech.

The new iX3 comes with the German brand’s ‘Intelligent Personal Assistant’, running the latest iteration of the BMW iDrive infotainment system. The system now integrates Amazon Alexa+, a generative AI voice assistant capable of understanding and responding to questions pertaining to the car as well as those related to general knowledge.

Compared to existing voice assistants, the Amazon Alexa+ system in the BMW iX3 (and future Neue Klasse models) means that users need not memorise predefined commands. Being a large language model (LLM), the new AI assistant will understand natural commands, picking up user patterns and preferences over time, which will lead to more relevant and personalised responses. 

BMW iX3: Extended entertainment options

Users can browse through over 85 apps and even attend Zoom meetings.

Compared to the older models, next-gen offerings, such as the iX3, use the BMW Operating System X (10) software. This system is far more advanced than the ones before it, which has allowed the German marque to significantly expand the entertainment suite offered in the iX3. Depending on the market, TiVo’s video app and Disney+ will enable users to watch live and on-demand streaming content on the 17.9-inch infotainment screen, provided the car remains stationary.

The BMW iX3 will also come with built-in Zoom, enabling users to attend online meetings via video or audio calls. As soon as the system detects vehicle movement, any ongoing video call will transition to an audio-only conversation to reduce distractions. Extending the entertainment options further is the soon-to-be-launched YouTube Music app for the BMW ConnectedDrive Store. It is already home to over 85 apps that cover multiple genres such as news, travel, and games, among others.

First introduced in BMW’s Operating System 8.5, AirConsole allows users to connect gaming controllers to the infotainment system via Bluetooth. Meanwhile, players can always connect their smartphones and use them as controllers. Mattel’s ‘Hot Wheels: Xtreme Overdrive’ is the latest game to be added to the growing game library, which already includes UNO Car Party (specific to BMW and Mini models).

BMW iX3: Advanced driver-assistance and AI-enabled drive capabilities

AI integration makes select driver-assistance features more intuitive.

In order to make longer stints behind the wheel feel less taxing, the iX3 will come with an advanced Level 2 driver-assistance package. When equipped with the Highway Assistant feature, the car can be driven at speeds of up to 130kph without the driver having to hold the steering wheel (even intermittently). Under the right conditions, the system can also change lanes automatically if the driver accepts, which can be done by glancing at the respective outside rearview mirror (ORVM).

The Highway Assistant is also actively paired with BMW Maps, enabling suggestions regarding lane changes as and when the system determines a better/faster route. Meanwhile, the City Assistant feature allows the iX3 to come to a complete halt automatically at a set of lights, setting off once the lights turn green. There is also an automated parking function, which allows the luxury electric SUV to be parked remotely via an app on your smartphone.

BMW’s ‘Symbiotic Drive’ feature integrates artificial intelligence into the adaptive cruise control and lane-assist systems, with the software registering lighter driver inputs but keeping the systems active, deactivating only when the forces on the steering wheel or brake pedal exceed a certain threshold. BMW will release more AI-assisted drive features in the future via over-the-air software updates.