200th EditionMotors

How cars have changed over 20 years and what’s coming next…

Gulf Insider asks Dr. Hamid Haqparwar, Managing Director of BMW Group Middle East, how cars have (and are) changing.

How have cars changed over the past 20 years?

Cars today are a lot more safe, reliable, and sustainable. In-car entertainment has been revolutionized – for example, connecting your phone to the car was not an option 20 years ago. Further, sustainability, electric vehicles, efficiencies, and recycled materials used are all now considerations when buying a new car.

Of all motoring innovations over the last two decades, which most impress you?

How did we even live without GPS navigation? It saves time, fuel consumption, and headaches. Now, I can’t think of living without it. Electrification is also a game changer and shows we are entering a new era. For over a hundred years, cars have been fuelled by gasoline and now we are looking into a complete change. We are at the beginning right now, and the joy of driving is being redefined with electrification.

Is there anything that would’ve particularly surprised you 20 years ago if you could look ahead and see cars today?

When I was a kid, I was convinced we would have flying cars by now. We still don’t have them and I can’t tell if we or someone else is working on them, but what I can tell you is that we are working on autonomous driving, and this is exciting. I believe autonomous driving will shape the future of individual mobility. Let’s face it, if you’re in a traffic jam on Sheikh Zayed Road, driving is not pleasurable, so being able to switch into automated mode and then be able to relax and unwind would be very convenient. And who knows, maybe in another 20 years we will see flying cars!

What near-term new technologies are coming?

From a manufacturer’s point of view, by 2025 over 25 of our models will be electrified – be it hybrid or fully electric. If a customer chooses a BMW 7 Series, they can choose between an electric or combustion engine version. It is the same car, but with two different drive train options. The choice is left to the customer.

What further changes do you see coming over the next 20 years?

Autonomous driving will continue to be worked on. There are 5 levels of automated driving, and right now we are at levels 2 and 3. Getting to level 5, which is fully automated, is still a long way off… but we are certainly working towards it.

… and what new BMW models are coming for next year?

Our flagship model, the brand new 7 Series will come end of this year. There’s a face lift for the X7, and a beautiful new product will be launched beginning of next year – the long-awaited BMW XM.

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