BMW Australia has just announced they will be offering local owners the opportunity to download upgrades for their cars without ever leaving their driveway. The Bavarians say the updates can be downloaded via the BMW ConnectedDrive Store which will be ready to go in minutes and will set you back $259.
The automaker is offering two upgrades namely: High Beam Assistant and BMW Drive Recorder. These upgrades can be downloaded onto cars fitted with the latest BMW network capable iDrive 7.0 media system.
The High Beam Assist upgrade is available for both the new 1-Series and the incoming 2-Series Gran Coupe with more models to follow. The system uses a light-seeking camera located in the rear-view mirror housing to monitor the road for up to 700m ahead.
If the system senses an oncoming car, the LED headlights then dip the auto-deploying beams of light automatically. The headlights are actively positioned to not blind oncoming road users. The system works even with traffic going in the same direction. It creates a tunnel without glaring the driver ahead.
The other “over-the-air” upgrade is the BMW Drive Recorder. This system uses the vehicle’s surround view camera system to capture video footage of the car’s immediate surrounding for up to 40 seconds.
In the event of an accident, the system will automatically save 20 seconds before and after the collision. The recorded video can be exported onto a USB flash drive and will include the following the data parameters: date, time speed and GPS coordinates.
BMW cars that are eligible for the upgrade include the 3, 7 and 8-Series made after July 2019 and any X5, X6 and X7 made after August 2019. The brand also says the Remote Software Upgrade will be available this year for BMWs built prior to July 2019.
“Vehicles must also have Parking Assistant Plus, which is standard on all the above model variants except 320i.” said the German automaker.
Owners can purchase a monthly subscription for $19, annually for $79, 3 years for 189 or purchase it permanently for $429.
Stay tuned for more updates. For more information on BMW, please visit our Showroom.
