From March 2019, BMW drivers and passengers will be joined by an intelligent, digital character that responds to the prompt "Hey BMW". This will mark the start of a new era for the BMW Group in which drivers will increasingly be able to operate their car and access its functions and information simply by speaking.

The personal assistant will also be able to assist the driver outside their vehicle, whether it's at home with the help of a smart speaker or out and about via smartphone.

What's more, he will be compatible with other digital voice assistants beyond Amazon Alexa, too, providing a link to other rapidly growing ecosystems.

The personal assistant's capabilities are developing all the time courtesy of BMW's Open Mobility Cloud and the use of artificial intelligence.

The range of functions and skills available will be constantly expanded as part of regular updates, which can be carried out seamlessly on a smartphone and in-car by Remote Software Upgrade.

"BMW's Intelligent Personal Assistant teams up with the new BMW Operating System 7.0 to create a brand new, digital form of interaction with the customer's BMW that redefines the whole driving experience," says Dieter May, Senior Vice President Digital Products BMW Group.

BMW's Intelligent Personal Assistant learns routines and habits, and is subsequently able to apply them in the appropriate context. He helps the driver, learns their preferences and is familiar with their favoured settings - e.g. for the seat heating or the places they drive to frequently using the navigation system ("Take me home").

One unique feature over other digital assistants is that drivers can give him a name (for example, "Charlie" or "Joy") to lend him even greater individuality and personality. Not only does the Intelligent Personal Assistant await the driver's every command, he is always there to assist them and even provide casual conversation ("Hey BMW, what's the meaning of life?").