Overview
- BMW confirmed it will discontinue the Personal Pilot Level 3 system on the refreshed 7 Series, with the facelift expected to debut in late April 2026 and series production likely in July.
- The car will adopt the iX3’s Level 2++ Motorway Assistant, enabling hands-off, eyes-on driving up to 130 km/h with glance-confirmed automatic lane changes and DCAS certification for deployment in 60 countries.
- Replacing Level 3 cuts the autonomy option price from about €6,000 to roughly €1,450, according to Automobilwoche reporting echoed by Automotive World and BMW Blog.
- BMW’s rationale centers on limited buyer uptake, the added cost of LiDAR and other sensors, and a narrow L3 operating envelope restricted to approved motorways at around 60 km/h.
- The move tracks a broader industry reset as Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis scale back Level 3 plans, while Ford and General Motors target eyes-off systems for around 2028.