BMW Group has become the first car manufacturer in Germany (and possibly the world) to receive international approval for its advanced driver assistance systems under the new UN Regulation No. 171 for Driver Control Assistance Systems (DCAS).
The certification applies to the upcoming BMW iX3, part of the company’s Neue Klasse lineup, and paves the way for wider deployment of the brand’s “hands-off” Motorway Assistant across Europe.
The DCAS framework defines global safety and performance standards for Level 2 driver assistance systems, ensuring consistent testing and validation procedures. For BMW, it marks a significant milestone in expanding its portfolio of semi-automated driving functions.
Dr Mihiar Ayoubi, senior vice president of driving experience development at BMW Group, says: “The safety-oriented DCAS regulation ensures that we can launch our Motorway Assistant with hands-off function in many more countries.
“Further innovative assistance systems with our special, symbiotic approach between vehicle and driver will follow. We are creating a perfect interplay between rule-based algorithms and artificial intelligence. The driver remains involved, our systems are controllable at all times, and their behaviour is reproducible.”
When activated, the Motorway Assistant allows drivers to remove their hands from the steering wheel at speeds up to 130 km/h, while the vehicle maintains its lane and distance autonomously.
Drivers must, however, remain attentive and ready to take control at any time. The system can also perform automatic lane changes, confirmed simply by the driver glancing at the side mirror.
Using BMW Maps route guidance, the technology can anticipate junctions or exits, suggesting lane changes early and maintaining guidance through motorway interchanges until the exit ramp ends. The new DCAS approval removes the need for case-by-case exemptions, allowing BMW to offer the technology more broadly across European and ECE markets.
In urban settings, the BMW iX3’s City Assistant adds further automation, such as stopping and restarting at traffic lights. Additional capabilities for complex traffic conditions will be introduced later through over-the-air updates.
The previous generation of BMW’s Motorway Assistant debuted in the 5 Series Sedan in 2023 under limited regulatory exemptions. The new approval represents the first full international recognition of such systems for production vehicles in Germany.
BMW is also introducing what it calls Symbiotic Drive, a design philosophy that blends driver control with active assistance. The iX3 will be the first model to feature symbiotic brakes alongside steering, allowing drivers to make minor steering or braking inputs without deactivating the assistance system.
BMW says these developments are supported by more than two dozen related patent applications.
The Motorway and City Assistant will debut with the BMW iX3’s market launch in Germany later this year, with rollout to additional European countries expected to follow.
