News

BMW India's terrible 80 / 120 kmph warning system

I drive all new cars that are launched in India and it's interesting to see the different manufacturer approaches to the 80 / 120 kmph speed warnings. Some do it well, some do it classy, some do it subtle, some do it effective

GTO recently shared this with other BHPians.

I drive all new cars that are launched in India and it's interesting to see the different manufacturer approaches to the 80 / 120 kmph speed warnings. Some do it well, some do it classy, some do it subtle, some do it effective...but the absolute WORST implementation is by BMW.

- BMW's 80 kmph warning chime is the loudest I have heard in any brand's cars. But that's not my real complaint. The actual problem is that, along with the 80 kmph gong, the audio system's volume also dips. Hence, if you are on an open road where your speed continuously varies between 70 - 90 kmph, you will go absolutely mad! Even if you go below 80 and cross it 10 times a minute, those 10 times, you'll hear a loud warning & your music volume will drop for a couple of seconds.

It is enough to drive you insane. There are better ways to warn drivers, as other OEMs are clearly doing.

- BMW's 120 kmph warning goes on continuously, and is loud enough to give you a headache. Worst still, at 120 kmph, the music volume remains permanently lowered!

BMW, please learn from your luxury car competitors or even mass market brands. Remember, the objective is to warn, not frustrate. Enthusiasts who own a current-gen BMW might get these alerts removed from a tuner. But the other 99% of BMW owners are going to have to live with this terribly frustrating behaviour.

Just to clarify:

80 kmph:

  • Nice cars - A subtle chime with a warning on the MID
  • BMW - LOUD chime, with the music volume dropping momentarily

120 kmph:

  • Nice cars - A subtle, classy continuous beep. It's there, you can hear it, but it's bearable.
  • BMW - LOUD continuous beeping + music volume permanently lowered.

Thanks to GTO once again! Check out BHPian comments for more insights & information.

 
Redlining the Indian Scene