BMW’s New Steering Wheel Is Upside Down

For as polarizing as BMW’s exterior designs can be, its cabins are fairly pedestrian by comparison. Every new BMW has a few screens, some hard buttons, and leather—nothing out of the ordinary. But that’s about to change.

With the arrival of what BMW calls “Panoramic Vision,” which consists of a full-width head-up display projected along the base of the windscreen, the Bavarian automaker’s interiors are about to look way different. And while most of the alterations are interesting, the new steering wheel leaves us perplexed.

Since there’s no instrument cluster, drivers no longer need a cutout at the top of the steering wheel to see one. BMW figured this was a good opportunity to fill this space. Similar to what we saw on the Neue Klasse concepts, BMW mirrored the steering wheel’s lower support spoke to the top, which turns the tri-spoke steering wheel into a quad-spoke. And that makes it look like it’s upside down.

Credit to BMW where it’s due: The interior as a whole looks interesting, and has obvious benefits. Moving what used to be on the dashboard to the windshield improves driver focus and opens up the space. It’s rare for automakers to create such a new, unique space inside a car.

BMW Vision Neue Klasse X SUV Concept

New opportunities can create unusual solutions, though, and the steering wheel is one such case. Just because designers knew they could fill that space didn’t mean they had to. Using what appears to be the same parts twice and flipping the steering wheel upside down is a confusing choice. 

Love it or hate it, the new steering wheel and its associated interior will be available this year in BMW’s Neue Klasse electric and internal-combustion vehicles. The earliest of those models should start rolling out later this year.