BMW will become the first automaker to deploy Amazon’s next-generation Alexa voice assistant in a production vehicle, with the 2026 BMW iX3 set to launch with the generative AI-powered Alexa+ system.
Amazon said on Monday that Alexa+ will be integrated into the 2026 iX3, marking the first in-car deployment of the company’s latest voice assistant. The announcement was made during the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Alexa+ is the same large language model-powered assistant that Amazon rolled out across hundreds of millions of its smart devices last year.
The move extends Amazon’s effort to bring its upgraded voice assistant to every consumer-facing device, including vehicles. Alexa+ is already active in more than 600 million devices worldwide, and automotive systems are now a priority area for expansion.
A Test Case For In-Car Voice Assistants
The BMW iX3 deployment will serve as a major test for Amazon, as carmakers have long struggled to deliver voice assistants capable of handling complex, multi-step requests without frustrating drivers. While natural language processing systems have been under development for more than a decade, in-vehicle assistants often fail when users move beyond simple commands.
By embedding Alexa+ into a production vehicle, Amazon and BMW aim to demonstrate that generative AI can support more natural, conversational interactions inside the car, including tasks that span multiple systems.
Three-Year Partnership Comes To Fruition
The Alexa+ launch in the iX3 follows a partnership that began in 2022, when BMW announced that Amazon Alexa would form the foundation of its next-generation in-car voice assistant. Rather than simply embedding a standard Alexa interface, BMW opted to build a customized assistant using Amazon’s Alexa Custom Assistant platform.
That timeline was later extended as Amazon developed Alexa+, an overhauled version of its assistant designed specifically to support large language models and more advanced reasoning. Alexa+ promises conversational interactions closer to human dialogue, with the ability to understand intent, break down complex requests, and act across multiple services.
Built On Amazon Bedrock
Alexa+ is built using Amazon Bedrock, a service that allows AWS customers to create applications using generative AI models developed by Amazon and third-party providers. Automakers such as BMW can customize Alexa+ with proprietary data, tailoring the assistant to vehicle-specific features and driver preferences.
According to Amazon, the result is a voice assistant capable of managing tasks that would traditionally require switching between apps. For example, a user could begin a conversation with an Alexa+ device at home and continue it seamlessly in their BMW. Once inside the vehicle, the assistant can coordinate actions involving music playback, navigation, and connected home systems such as security controls.
The companies did not disclose whether Alexa+ will be rolled out to additional BMW models beyond the iX3, or whether similar partnerships are planned with other automakers.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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