BMW Debuts The i7 Luxury Electric Limousine And The New-gen 7 Series

Modified On Apr 21, 2022 11:05 AM By Sonny

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BMW’s flagship sedan features a new design language and an ultrawide rear entertainment screen

New 7 Series is the first to be introduced with all-electric, plug-in hybrid and combustion engine variants.
The i7 has a 101.7kWh battery pack with a claimed range of up to 625km.
It will only be offered as a high-performance, dual-motor electric limousine.
Highlights of the new cabin are the 31.3-inch rear entertainment screen and new dashboard design.
The new 7 Series has a very block-ish design with a split headlamp layout that takes attention away from the massive grille.
BMW is expected to bring the new 7-er and i7 to India by early 2024.

The BMW 7 Series luxury limousine is now in its seventh generation. Among the many landmark changes, the biggest one is that it is now available as an all-electric model, dubbed the i7.

The i7 has been premiered in a single top-of-the-line variant, the i7 xDrive60. It is the most powerful variant of the new 7 Series, with a dual-motor setup, one on each axle, and peak performance rating of 544PS and 745Nm. The net battery capacity of the i7 stands at 101.7kWh and it has a WLTP certified range of up to 625km. Yes, that’s a smaller battery and less range than the all-wheel-drive performance variant of the Mercedes-Benz EQS. The i7 has a charging capacity of up to 195kW, which can top the battery from 10 to 80 percent in 34 minutes.

In terms of design, the new 7 Series looks quite chunky. It features clean surfaces and monolithic shapes. The front-end design was already contentious for its massive kidney grille but all the attention is now drawn by the new split-headlamp design. The crystalline daytime running lights are positioned on top along the bonnet edge with headlamps housed below it. The i7 also features an i badge on the left side of the grille.

The monolithic design theme continues through to the rear end as well. Its sleek taillamps further highlight the chunky shapes of the new 7 Series. The simplified design of the i7 rear bumper looks odd in comparison to the combustion engine variant which has sporty design elements and exhaust tips.

BMW has made the 7 Series even bigger in the latest generation, with the wheelbase now measured at 3215mm. It’s longer, wider and taller as well. The i7 gets special aero-optimised alloy wheels while the regular 7 Series gets 19-inch wheels as standard. Mechanical equipment includes twin-axle air suspension and all-wheel-steering.

The interior of the new-gen 7 Series has undergone significant changes as well. Its coolest new feature is the theatre screen rear entertainment system, which is a 31.3-inch ultrawide touchscreen display mounted to the roof. It drops down in front of the rear passengers for a truly cinematic experience that can stream videos using 5G connectivity. It also has an HDMI port for added utility. Yes, you can have the theatre screen even with the panoramic glass roof. In our books, this screen is cooler than the Mercedes MBUX Hyperscreen from a purely entertainment purview. The seventh-gen 7 Series will also introduce Level 3 Autonomous driving tech for added convenience, available in regions where its use is permitted.

The dashboard features an integrated curved display for the 12.3-inch digital cockpit and 14.9-inch central infotainment touchscreen. It also gets the latest generation of the BMW iDrive operating system with its digital AI assistant and will expand its functionality with over-the-air updates. Below it is the new interaction bar that integrates the ambient lighting and the touch-based climate control panel, spanning across the dash and onto the front doors. BMW has followed the ongoing trend of replacing buttons with touch and haptic controls wherever possible. It can even be equipped with 5.5-inch touchscreen displays in the rear doors for rear seat telephony and media controls.

The central console between the front seats features a mix of physical and touch-sensitive buttons along with the iconic rotary navigation dial and bejewelled toggle for the drive selector.

There are no surprises in the plush upholstery of the new 7 Series with choice of sustainable materials as well. It has powered front and rear seats which also offer a massage function.

The rear seat across from the driver is also called the Captain’s Chair because it offers the most relaxed seating position by moving forward the front passenger seat and lifting up the leg support for a lounge experience.

BMW will offer the new 7 Series with combustion engine and plug-in hybrid powertrain options as well, a first from the German luxury carmaker. It will later introduce diesel engine variants too. There is also a performance oriented variant of the i7 in the works, the i7 M70 xDrive, which will offer 660PS of performance.

The new BMW 7 Series and the i7 will be rolled out across markets with different powertrains over time. It is likely to arrive in India by early-2024 with the electric version taking on the Mercedes-Benz EQS. The regular 7 Series will continue to rival the likes of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Audi A8.