BMW has taken the wraps off the seventh generation of its flagship limousine, the 7 Series. Apart from the 7 Series, BMW has also revealed its electric counterpart, the i7. Both the models feature the latest and greatest from the German carmaker in terms of tech and design. The BMW 7 Series range will go on sale in international markets from November and we expect it to reach our shores by next year. Let’s take a look at everything in detail:
A Bold Face!
The new 7 series gets a face that will definitely polarize opinions. The fascia is similar to what we recently saw on the X7 facelift. The kidney grille is larger than and it is also illuminated. The lights are split into two parts wherein the headlights are in the middle of the bumper and two-element LED running lights near the hood.
The side features wheels ranging from 19-inches to optional 22-inch units. The traditional door handles now make way for flush sitting electronic touchpads. The iconic BMW Hofmeister kink is prominently seen on the C pillar as well. The rear gets slim LED taillights that get black borders. The electric i7 gets unique styling cues such as a blank grille, BMW i logos, and blue elements all-around.
The limousine gets multiple M-sport packages as an option for more aggressive styling elements and larger wheels. The new 7 Series is substantially larger than the previous iteration at 5391mm in length, 1950mm in width, and 1544mm in height.
Tech Galore!
Inside, the 7 Series features the latest iteration of BMW’s Live Cockpit Plus with the iDrive 8 software embedded with 5G e-sim. The dashboard is dominated by a large curved display that is divided into two parts. The instrument cluster behind the new flat-bottom steering wheel is a 12.3-inch unit whereas the center touchscreen is 14.9-inches.
Below the screens, you will find a light band that runs across the entire width of the cabin. The center console houses a crystalline surface with touch-capacitive controls for functions like ventilation, i-drive rotary controller, gear selector, and climate control. The panoramic roof features individually adjustable light threads that can dim or brighten up the roof accordingly.
The party trick of the new 7 series has to be the 31.3-inch 8K cinema screen that is mounted on the roof. It folds down to offer video streaming via Amazon Fire TV. The TV can be controlled either by touch or via two 5.5-inch tablets mounted on the door panels. It gets an optional Bowers and Wilkins surround sound system that comes with 36 speakers with 4D audio function.
Electric is the future
The majority of the powertrain option in the 7 Series range comes with some sort of electrification including mild-hybrid technology, plug-in hybrid, and pure electric units. The 740d uses a turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six diesel with mild-hybrid and produces 299hp and 650nm of torque.
The 750e features an inline-six petrol engine with a plug-in hybrid system which produces a combined output of 490hp and 700nm of torque. The flagship 760i gets a 4.4-liter V8 that produces 544hp and 750nm of torque. It can achieve 0-100 km/h in 4.2 seconds and touches an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h. The first M Performance plug-in hybrid from BMW will go by the name of M760e xDrive.
This one too will have an inline-six and an e-motor but dialed to 571 hp and 800 Nm. All powertrains come mated to an 8-speed automatic. The i7 xDrive60 features dual motors with a total output of 544hp and 745nm of torque. It gets a claimed range 0f 625km thanks to the large 101.7kWh battery pack. It can do 0-100 km/h in 4.7 seconds. Later in the model’s life cycle, a sportier i7 M70 xDrive will be launched.