Over the years, cars have advanced to have more and more technology, and not just under the hood. Safety features enhanced by cameras and sensors have done a lot to enhance our driving experience, and some have even become standard in a lot of models. Other tech features, however, are designed to enhance the user experience by giving us more ways to interact with our cars. BlueTooth, for example, wasn’t always standard in cars, and now it’s hard for many people to imagine a vehicle with the ability to connect to their phones. In 2020, on the other hand, BMW didn’t just meet our standards, they went above and beyond, and these Connect Car Awards agree.

BMW and tech

BMW is one of those companies that always seems to be putting their best foot forward with the newest technology and features. Several features for the 2020 model years stood out among the sea of amazing new integrations we’ve seen in cars, awarding BMW accolades from Auto Bild & Computer Bild. While there were so many things to feature, the popular German brand was highlighted for quite a few features that made their user interface optimal.

Digital Key

The BMW Digital Key is a feature that many drivers may not be aware even exists unless, of course, you happen to have this feature in your car. The Digital Key made the top of the list for Connected Car Awards presented by the magazines. In a world where smartphones seem to be in every driver’s hands, the Digital Key connects users’ cell phones and BMW vehicles through an app. It allows the driver to remotely lock and unlock the vehicle and even allows you to share the key with up to five users.

What makes this key extra great for parents who may have first-time drivers in the family, they can set restrictions such as speed and stereo volume, as well as monitor several other activities of the car. That is if you want to let your newest driver in the family take your new BMW to the high school’s Friday night football in the first place.

The crowd favorite

Readers of the magazine were able to cast their votes and contribute to the general polling of available tech features. The tech that received the most votes from readers was the BMW Driving Assistant Professional. Rather than being one individual feature, the Driving Assistant Professional is a package that provides the car with more safety features to enhance the driving experience. This includes Steering and Lane Control Assistant, Active Navigation, and Emergency Lane Assistant features.

The list doesn’t stop there, either. The Assisted View also comes wrapped up in that very package, and the feature itself is pretty neat. Using cameras and sensors around the car, a 3D visualization of your car appears on the dashboard in real-time, showing any potential hazards in the immediate surrounding area.

While BMW may have had some stiff competition from other very-well qualified competitors, readers of the magazine seemed to think that these features deserved the most attention. As cars become more connected to the road and our tech devices, the world of possibilities for new features seems endless.