Overview
- BMW will discontinue the Personal Pilot L3 option on the 7 Series with the model refresh expected at the end of April 2026, according to a company spokesperson cited by Automobilwoche.
- The company attributes the reversal to limited customer benefit and weak demand for the costly Level 3 package, which had been priced around €6,000.
- BMW’s Level 3 system was restricted to divided highways and low speeds up to 60 km/h, requiring expensive hardware such as lidar despite its narrow operating domain.
- BMW is shifting to a Level 2+ Autobahn & City assistant similar to the iX3 offering, priced about €1,450, enabling hands-off, eyes-on driving up to 130 km/h with glance-activated lane changes and expanding city features via software updates.
- BMW has DCAS approval that supports rollout in roughly 60 countries, with reporting indicating a European launch beginning in spring, U.S. introduction planned, and a China variant developed with Momenta, as the move tracks a recent Mercedes switch from Drive Pilot L3 to an advanced Level 2 system.