5 Futuristic Car Displays We Cannot Wait For

In-car displays are high-tech, beautifully crafted bits of hardware, and something every user should relish.

As technology advances, automotive manufacturers find ways to integrate displays as beautifully as possible into their upcoming vehicles. The trend began with simply placing a tablet somewhere in the center of the dashboard, as seen with the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan, and continued with making the infotainment display as large as possible, as seen with some of the first Tesla Model S vehicles.

Since then, manufacturers have become more creative with integrating these displays to be as beneficial to the driver as possible. From British supercar manufacturer Lotus to Samsung, here are five of the most impressive in-car displays coming soon.

1. Lotus Eletre

Lotus is finally taking its first step into the EV market with its first-ever electric-powered hyper-SUV, the Lotus Eletre. It has a distinct Lotus design on the exterior while also looking as futuristic as possible with unique aerodynamic elements and a trendy bar taillight in the rear.

The futuristic design continues in the interior with its driver and passenger-focused displays. There are three displays total, wrapping around the entirety of the dashboard, which Lotus calls the Ribbon of Technology.

A thin display in front of the driver shows key information such as the current speed, battery percentage, range, and infotainment details such as music and incoming calls. To the right is a large, almost bezel-less 15.1-inch OLED touchscreen that even retracts to give you easier access to the storage underneath.

The passenger gets their own screen as well, showing much of the same information the driver gets, such as battery percentage, range, speed, and entertainment information. The Lotus Eletre has even more unique features that we can't wait to see in person.

2. BMW iDrive 8

BMW's redesigned infotainment system has debuted in its new electric-powered vehicles, the iX, and i4, which have been making their way to customers since March 2022. The redesign is incredibly impressive, beginning with the 12.3-inch instrument panel in front of the driver, then seamlessly merging into the curved 14.9-inch touchscreen.

Drivers can also opt to use the rotary knob instead of the touchscreen, minimizing distracted driving and fingerprints to clean off later. Another futuristic feature of iDrive 8 is the new voice assistant. Drivers can modify the name of the voice assistant in the vehicle's settings and can give it commands to turn on climate controls, navigate to a certain location, change the music, and more. BMW's iDrive 8 supports Apple Car Play and Android Auto as well.

3. Mercedes MBUX Hyperscreen

Mercedes' Hyperscreen is a massive improvement from its infotainment displays of the past. It consists of three screens all within one huge 56", approximately 4.5 feet, piece of glass stretching the length of the dashboard. They are all OLED panels with anti-glare and scratch-resistant coatings. Mercedes explains, "the brightness [of the display] adapts to the lighting conditions within the interior," which will also help minimize reflections and glare.

Mercedes has also made the user interface as clean as possible with its "Zero Layer" design on the 17.7-inch center display. It appears to be very minimal while also giving the driver access to their music and phone calls, without looking overwhelming or clustered. Mercedes has stated that the new infotainment system has an updated voice assistant as well to more easily change climate control settings, music, and more to minimize driver distraction.

So far, it looks like the Mercedes-Benz MBUX Hyperscreen is only available on the new all-electric EQS, but some design elements may slowly trickle down to lower-end models.

4. Samsung Digital Cockpit

Samsung's Digital Cockpit is the company's vision for in-car infotainment systems of the future. It was first shown off at CES 2018 and has been updated every year with unique features that are yet to make their way to consumer vehicles.

Its current design features a massive 49-inch QLED display with a smaller 8.8-inch LCD with basic information within the steering wheel. As beautiful as the design is, it will only work for fully self-driving vehicles of the future, as the amount of information being thrown at you would distract even the most cautious of drivers. Samsung explains that this design would work wonders as a mobile office for those who want to be productive on the go with features that support video conferencing and even video editing.

It also wants to integrate its latest Samsung Health applications into the vehicle. Samsung states that "Automotive Samsung Health, analyzes passengers’ health status before boarding. It also regularly monitors passengers’ stress levels and will adjust the vehicle’s lighting, scent, or music in an effort to help them relax."

The Samsung Digital Cockpit has several other features, including connecting video game systems to the 49-inch panoramic display, a 360-degree Vision Monitoring System to keep an eye out for vehicles and pedestrians in the vehicle's path, and 5G connectivity to upload content to social media platforms using the in-vehicle displays.

5. Cadillac Lyriq

Cadillac is looking to impress the EV world with its new all-electric vehicle, the Lyriq, giving drivers an estimated 300 miles of range and a luxurious interior to rival its German competitors. It features a single 33-inch LED display that curves towards the driver with a minimal but futuristic user interface. The infotainment is controlled by a beautiful rotary knob on the center console with, of course, some ambient lighting to accentuate its design.

The driver can also customize the ambient lighting throughout the interior within the software. Though the screen itself is not as wild as some of the others mentioned on this list, it is amazing to see this level of vehicle display making its way out of concept cars and into consumer-ready vehicles.

These Futuristic Displays Will Come Sooner Than You Think

The best part of all of these displays is that they're slowly making their way into attainable consumer vehicles. When one manufacturer decides to put a beautiful 30" curved display in its new consumer-ready vehicle under $60,000, its competitors create even more amazing interiors for an even more affordable price.

While technology continues to advance and auto manufacturers keep competing to have the most gorgeous interiors for the price, consumers will take advantage and reap the benefits of having futuristic displays in their vehicles of today.