BMW’s interiors have long been renowned for their intuitive, driver-focused layouts, but the Bavarian auto brand – like myriad others – is moving away from physical switchgear.

Gone from the latest BMW models, such as the Neue Klasse-based iX3, are physical climate controls. Indeed, inside the new mid-size electric SUV there’s only a tiny cluster of physical switchgear on the centre console and nothing on the dashboard, with most functions controlled via the touchscreen or by voice.

“I think you need to understand why that change is happening, and once you understand that it’s easier to comprehend what will happen in the future as well,” BMW Group Australia CEO Vikram Pawah told CarExpert in response to a question about how the brand’s customers are responding to its new-generation interiors.

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“A car is not a standalone piece, it’s part of what’s happening around you in society.

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“We can see that voice and touch are becoming more and more common. Maybe it’s a generational thing as well. You would see that a lot of the younger generation, maybe 45 or below, they’re tapped into these technologies at a faster pace, using voice, using touch.

“They want things done quickly and they’re multitasking. And we have to keep that in mind. That’s how customers are evolving. They are multitasking.”

Mr Pawah noted that the iX3 features a more intelligent voice assistant that can respond to prompts like “Can you move the air away from my face?” and “I want to have a coffee that I had last week”.

The new iX3 is not only the first model to be based on BMW’s all-new Neue Klasse platform, but the first production vehicle to use BMW’s new interior design language.

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That includes BMW Panoramic iDrive, which incorporates a display that runs along the base of the windscreen in addition to a traditional head-up display and infotainment touchscreen – and in lieu of a more conventional digital instrument cluster.

Traditional column stalks remain in the iX3, while BMW has developed what it calls ‘ShyTech’ controls for the steering wheel. This sees some functions only illuminated once they’re available.

While there are no traditional buttons or dials for adjusting the climate control, there are anchored controls on the infotainment touchscreen.

“The world has evolved and we have to keep up with it. What we have to make sure is what we’re offering is intuitive and simple enough for people to adapt to,” said Mr Pawah.

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“Change is never easy, but if the adoption of change is made more palatable and more intuitive, it’s possible to change that.

“People always feel uncomfortable with radical change. Do you remember when we introduced the iDrive back in 2001? And you remember what the world’s reaction was to the iDrive, and now look there’s hardly a car you get into where there’s not an iDrive,” added BMW Group Australia communications boss Leanne Blanckenberg.

Tesla is arguably the leader in interior minimalism, and has demonstrated just how little in the way of physical switchgear it can get away with having. Not only is essentially everything in a Tesla controlled via the touchscreen or by voice prompts, but the American automaker even briefly removed traditional indicator stalks from its vehicles here – ironically, in favour of a pair of buttons on the steering wheel.

Given Tesla’s popularity in China, it’s perhaps unsurprising that so many Chinese brands have enthusiastically followed its minimalist interior design philosophy.

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This has also seen brands from the likes of Japan and Korea follow suit, either because they sell vehicles built in China (eg: the Mazda 6e) or developed with a focus on the Chinese market (eg: the Lexus ES).

The iX3, like the upcoming i3 sedan with which it shares a platform, has been developed as a global model. However, it’s also an important vehicle for the Chinese market, which also gets a unique long-wheelbase variant.

Much as new Chinese government standards have seen brands forced to walk away from flush-mounted exterior door handles – including BMW itself with the long-wheelbase iX3 – automakers will soon encounter new regulatory hurdles in the world’s largest car market that may force them to modify their vehicles.

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Previously expected to be implemented this year, a new Chinese national standard – referred to as Symbols for controls, indicators and tell-tales of motor vehicles – is currently poised to be implemented on July 1, 2027.

Under these proposed standards, 19 functions – including controls for the transmission, wipers, headlights, indicators and hazard lights – will need to be able to be controlled via physical controls outside of a display, with a fixed location, an effective operating area of at least 10x10mm (unless it has a particularly notable shape or location), and either tactile or audible feedback. For example, this means they can be controlled via buttons, switches, knobs and stalks.

The latest BMW models appear to largely meet these standards as, despite a move away from physical switchgear, the German automaker hasn’t gone quite as far as Tesla.

MORE: Explore the BMW showroom