The next-generation new BMW 7 Series luxury saloon and all-electric i7 have been unveiled.
With the new BMW 7 Series, the world’s most successful luxury car manufacturer is pioneering new ways to enjoy driving enjoyment, unrivalled long-distance comfort, and a cutting-edge digital experience. The BMW i7 is at the heart of this reinvention.
BMW have unveiled their new i7 xDrive60, the first all-electric version of their full-size luxury sedan, after months of teasers and a gradual trickle of information. The G70 iteration of the 7 keeps a more classic sedan profile, but with a radically new face, rather than the more futuristic design language Mercedes-Benz have used for their EVs.
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In both its exterior and interior design, the new BMW i7 and 7 Series blend a modern style that concentrates on the fundamentals. The front-end design of BMW luxury vehicles is dominated by characteristics that are distinctive of the brand, yet there is an obvious separation between these models and the rest of the BMW lineup.
While we don’t have the actual dimensional comparison for the 7’s grille, the X7 has a similar style, and while the grille hasn’t shrunk in size, it does appear less huge. The new front lighting design will most likely be reserved for high-end models like the X7 and 7 Series limousine. As a first, the new BMW 7 Series will only be offered in one long 3,215-millimetre wheelbase guise. There will be no standard and long models anymore.
A flat rectangular screen in the lower half of the grille hides several of the front sensors, including the forthcoming lidar. The Innoviz LiDAR will not be ready when the new BMW 7 Series is released, but it should be available in 2023. The augmented reality display in the instrument cluster is another option. It displays guidance suggestions close to the roads where turns must be made using the forward camera view.
All four doors of the BMW have integrated power opening and closing. The door will pop out a few inches if you press the button adjacent to the handle, and a slight pull on the edge will bring it all the way out. The inside design of the i7 has undergone more significant revisions than the outward appearance. It features the same huge curved screen layout as the i4, iX, and redesigned X7. Within, there are two different displays: a 12.3-inch instrument cluster display and a 14.9-inch touchscreen display for the iDrive infotainment system. BMW’s 31.3-inch 8K Theater Screen with built-in Amazon Fire TV and touch screen remotes in the door panels makes its production premiere in the new 7 Series.
In November 2022, three varieties of the new BMW 7 Series will be released. BMW have already phased out the M60i V12 and the new 60i packs a mild-hybrid V8. Three petrol are available, not in Europe. The new 735i and 740i come with a 3.0-litre, in-line six-cylinder engine with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. The 735i makes 272 hp and 400 Nm, whereas the 740i has 380 hp and 520 Nm on tap. The larger 760i xDrive packs the updated V8 with 48V MHEV tech and now produces 544 hp and 750 Nm. Europe will receive a diesel as well. Expected to be the 740d, the six-cylinder mild-hybrid engine will deliver 352 hp and 700 Nm.
The BMW i7 has a two-motor set-up with a 190 kW (258 hp)/365 Nm motor up front and a 230 kW (313 hp)/380 Nm rear motor. The combined peak output is 544 hp and 745 Nm. The WLTP range for the i7 xDrive60 is 590-625 km.
In 2023, BMW will add the M760e xDrie plug-in hybrid with a six-cylinder petrol engine and electric motor. With 571 hp and 800 Nm on tap, apart from a pure electric drive mode, the preliminary figures of 90.9 km/l for the PHEV look encouraging. Another PHEV model may also be in the pipeline, a sub-500-hp 750e.
The flagship model coming next year will be the top-of-the-line BMW M model, the i7 M70 xDrive. This one promises more than 600 hp, 1,000 Nm and a sprint time of 0-100 km/h of less than four seconds.
The BMW i7 models can charge up to 11 kW from an AC charger and 195 kW from a DC fast charger, giving it a range of 129 km in around 10 minutes.
We hope to see the 740i, 740d, 760i, M760e and i7 duo make it to India in a phased manner.
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Story by Kurt Morris