Along with the all-new 7 Series, BMW unveiled the BMW i7, undoubtedly the most significant version of their new flagship premium vehicle. From the exterior, the i7 seems to be a 7 Series with the engine removed and some electric motors added. Okay, so that’s kind of like that, but it’s a poor way of stating it. In actuality, the BMW i7 is the most technologically sophisticated, luxury automobile the Bavarian manufacturer has ever produced, and it is the vehicle BMW needs to lead it into the future.
The starting MSRP for the 2023 BMW 740i is $93,300 plus $995 destination. The BMW 760i xDrive begins at $113,600 + $995 destination in 2023, while the BMW i7 xDrive60 costs $119,300 + $995 destination. The US market will be launched in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Innovative New Design
The BMW i7 seems to be quite similar to the 7 Series, practically identical in fact. That was done on purpose. BMW’s design team did not want people to choose between the two vehicles solely on their style or design. Instead, the Bavarians desired that their consumers choose the 7 Series and then select their powerplant.
Both the BMW i7 and 7 Series share the same grille and new split headlamps up front. Sure, some model versions have small differences, like as the 760i’s black trim around the grille, but for the most part, they’re all the same. The new split headlamp design also looks terrific, adding apparent verticality to the front end and reducing the visual effect of the huge grille. Despite being larger and brasher than the previous-generation 7 Series, the new front end design is more appealing and less aggressive.
The i7 has a nifty little aesthetic trick up its sleeve in the form of an LED-lit grille trim. Rather of the waterfall lighting effect seen on the X7 and X6’s kidney grilles, the i7 illuminates the grille surround trim, which is significantly more aesthetically appealing than the aforementioned vehicles’ grille lighting.
The split headlights do exactly what they say on the box: they divide the illumination duties. The top section of each headlamp is responsible for daytime running lights and turn signals, as well as representing BMW’s characteristic twin light appearance. Underneath, the bottom section is in charge of the primary and high beams, but it is also coloured to blend in with the backdrop until required.
The BMW i7 is flanked on both sides by flat door handles, aerodynamic wheels, and genuine Hofmeister Kinks. It also has Rolls-Royce-style automated doors that open and shut with the press of a button. Those aerodynamic wheels are also large, measuring 19 inches as standard, with 20 inch and 21 inch wheel choices, including M Performance wheels.
However, it’s what’s inside the i7 that’s actually intriguing. Again, as with the exterior, BMW didn’t want buyers to have to choose between the gas-powered 7 Series and the all-electric i7 in terms of interior elegance or comfort. As a result, the staterooms are almost similar. But that’s not always a negative thing.
Front-seat passengers are treated to an all-new dashboard layout that incorporates lit crystal-like trim nicknamed the “Interaction Bar,” which can change colors and is one of the most distinctive aspects of any BMW interior in history. The driver may not only change the color scheme, but also how it responds to particular circumstances, such as phone calls or welcome/goodbye effects.
The i7, like the BMW iX, features a two-spoke steering wheel, although it isn’t hexagonal and has a flat bottom. The central console, like the iX, has a toggle switch gear selector as well as the same array of buttons and rotary wheel. Ahead of that little swarm of buttons and switches are two cupholders, each with its own cover. It’s an uncommon design; not horrible or excellent, just different; nevertheless it looks intriguing, and each cupholder is heated and chilled.
BMW’s iDrive 8 handles all of the technology up front. It’s the same technology used in the BMW iX and X7 LCI, so the i7 receives the same new infotainment system and digital driver’s display screen, both of which are connected at the hip.
When you get to the back, the tech multiplies. Instead of just one screen, passengers may choose from up to three, one of which is optional and larger than all previous BMW i7 displays combined. There are two displays in the backseat of a basic BMW i7, one in each of the rear door panels, right before of the armrest. Those displays manage everything back passengers might ever desire, including ambient lighting, temperature control, sun blinds, and the sunroof. The displays control everything that can be controlled.
If you add the Theater Screen option, you get a giant 31′′ 8k widescreen display that folds down from the car’s headliner for a genuine theater-like experience. It has an Amazon Fire TV packed in, allowing passengers to view whatever streaming video they can think of through the car’s own 5G broadband connection. Because the vehicle is Fire TV-based, your home Amazon Fire TV app data transfers to the car, so if you’re watching a movie at home, stop it at any time, then get in the car, the movie will continue playing from the same place in the rear of your i7.
When using the Theater Screen, rear passengers can listen to their movies or shows using either the all-new optional 36-speaker, 1,965-watt Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System, with 4D audio technology that uses exciters in the front and rear seat rests, or the all-new optional 36-speaker, 1,965-watt Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System, with exciters in the front and rear seat rests. If you do not specify that option, you will still get a Bowers & Wilkins system, but it will only have 18 speakers and 655 watts. If rear passengers want to listen discreetly, they may utilize Bluetooth headphones.
The BMW i7 — and the full 7 Series series — may become a device on your T-Mobile service plan by using the same data connection. That is, if you connect your automobile to your plan and your phone dies or breaks, you can simply use your i7 to make calls and send messages. It’s like having a car phone again, except better.
Let’s Talk Speed Instead of Technology
Unfortunately for those tech-hating, horsepower-loving, old-school automobile aficionados, the i7 combines tech and speed. The BMW i7 xDrive60 is propelled by two electric motors that include no rare earth minerals. The maximum power output is 536 horsepower and 549 pound-feet of torque, which is ironically (or not so ironically) the same as the BMW 760i. According to BMW, the i7 accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and has a peak speed of 149 mph.
Those two electric motors, which enable torque-vectoring all-wheel drive, are powered by a 101.7 kWh (usable) battery pack with a range of up to 300 miles. This is a BMW-estimated range based on EPA testing protocols.
The charging process for the BMW i7 is identical to that of the BMW iX. It can be charged at 11 kW AC or up to 195 kW DC with a fast charger. The i7’s charging curve is flatter, which distinguishes it from its taller sister. The BMW i7 can charge at 195 kW for longer than the iX because to enhanced cooling and software efficiency, allowing it to recover 80 kilometers in only 10 minutes. BMW has also teamed with Electrify America to give all i7 owners with three years of unlimited 30-minute fast charging sessions, which is enough to recharge the battery nearly entirely.
Without a doubt, the BMW i7 is the most technologically sophisticated flagship car the company has ever manufactured. It contributes to the 7 Series’ claim of being the most luxury BMW of all time by having the most technologically advanced engine of them all. Customers who purchase a 7 Series will have the option of buying a vehicle that looks and feels precisely like the conventional 7 Series, but with a quieter, smoother, and more polar bear-friendly motor.
