Presentation BMW i7: Caught Between All Stools

The details make the difference – and BMW is once again taking a bigger step with the 7 Series, especially as the i7. It has a typical electric car package, with a battery between the axles and two compact drive motors. The only drawback: BMW couldn't design the i7 as thoroughly as Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, and others, since it's also available as a pure combustion engine 760i xDrive and plug-in hybrid M760e xDrive. In addition to the V8, there will also be two inline-six cylinder engines and once again a diesel – which, objectively speaking, is the most sensible combustion engine in this vehicle class for fast long-distance travel due to its efficiency. According to Robert Kahlenberg, Project Director of the series, the customer should decide how their 7 Series should be powered in the future. After all, the i7 could be relatively efficient: BMW claims 18.4 to 19.6 kWh/100 km, which, thanks to the 105-kWh battery, should be enough for 590 to 625 kilometers according to WLTP, practically translating to around 400 kilometers give or take.

Visually, the i7 is inspired by the iX in details and will feature headlights positioned lower like the facelifted X7. While all models from the 5 Series downward can eschew this arrangement. This is part of BMW's goal to "create a clear differentiation from the other series of the brand." Announced features included the BMW Theatre Screen, iDrive with the latest generation of the BMW Operating System 8, and the BMW Curved Display. Additionally, there is the maneuvering assistant for automated parking and maneuvering. BMW optionally offers an "Executive Lounge with optimized reclining position in the rear" and a new equipment variant in BMW Individual Leather Merino/Wool-Cashmere.

In Europe, only the i7 will launch – combustion, plug-in, and diesel versions will follow

The new BMW 7 Series was designed from the ground up for particularly demanding target groups in a globalized automobile market, which is why there is no longer a "short" wheelbase version: from now on, you'll always drive an iL. Greetings from China, the most important sales region, while Europeans get another diesel. According to BMW, the diversity in the powertrain portfolio is based on a newly developed flexible vehicle architecture. Interestingly, in Europe, the market launch will initially be exclusively with the BMW i7. In the USA, the Chinese automobile market, and other selected sales regions, two models with petrol engines and 48-volt mild hybrid technology will be offered alongside the pure electric version from the very start. At the beginning of 2023, plug-in hybrid models of the new BMW 7 Series are expected to follow in many markets.

This also includes the first BMW M automobile with an inline six-cylinder petrol engine and plug-in hybrid drive. Additionally, the range in Europe will be expanded immediately after market launch by a model variant with a diesel engine and 48-volt mild hybrid technology. At a later date, further model variants of the fully electric BMW i7, including the future top model BMW i7 M70 xDrive, will be available.

High manufacturing depth in the former Glas plant in Dingolfing

The models of the new BMW 7 Series, like all their predecessors, are produced in the BMW Group plant in Dingolfing, which BMW took over from Glas in 1966. The largest production facility of the company in Europe thus unites tradition and future. It is also the BMW Group's competence center for the production of electric drive components. The highly integrated electric drive and the high-voltage battery of the BMW i7 are also manufactured there. Vehicles with internal combustion engines, plug-in hybrid systems, and fully electric drives run off the same line in Dingolfing. In addition to the fully electric BMW iX, the luxury sports cars of the BMW 8 Series and vehicles of the BMW 5 Series are also produced there alongside the new BMW 7 Series.

Worldwide, the model program of the new BMW 7 Series will be supplemented by two BMW M automobiles with electrified drives. The new BMW M760e xDrive (combined fuel consumption: 1.2 – 1.1 l/100 km; combined electricity consumption: 26.9 – 25.8 kWh/100 km; CO2 emissions: 28 – 25 g/km according to WLTP) with an output of 420 kW/571 PS and a torque of 800 Nm will debut in spring 2023. The electric motor generates a temporary boost with an additional output of 30 kW/40 PS. An M-specific design for the exterior and interior, including an exhaust system with characteristic double tailpipe pairs with distinctive geometry, emphasizes the performance characteristics of the BMW M automobile with plug-in hybrid technology.

Future-proof? The i7 M70 X drive finally breaks the 600-horsepower mark

The future top model of the series, the new BMW i7 M70 xDrive (combined electricity consumption according to WLTP: 26.4 – 21.2 kWh/100 km; figures according to NEFZ: –), features a purely electric drive with two motors on the front and rear axles and will follow later in 2023. Its drive system generates a maximum output of significantly more than 600 PS and a maximum torque of more than 1,000 Nm. The most powerful BMW model ever approved for the road accelerates from zero to 100 kilometers in less than 4.0 seconds. However, according to BMW, the figures for performance and energy consumption of the BMW i7 M70 xDrive are still projections based on the current state of vehicle development, including temporary boosts.

However, the "multisensory vehicle experience" BMW iDrive with the latest generation might be more of a step back in practice, as it was not completely convincing in the iX. It is backed by the BMW Operating System 8. With the fully digital BMW Curved Display, the innovative BMW Interaction Bar, the extended capabilities of the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, additional My Modes, the new version of the BMW Head-Up Display, and for the first time the Augmented View on the information display behind the steering wheel, the intuitive dialogue between driver and vehicle reaches a new complex dimension – making the driver feel even smaller given the plethora of possibilities that could theoretically be tapped. Optionally, the BMW Theatre Screen, a 31.3-inch panoramic display in 32:9 format with 8K resolution, can be deployed from the roof lining, transforming the second row of seats into an exclusive private cinema on wheels. For the first time, driver and front passenger can also use YouTube video-on-demand streaming on the control display. The high-speed connectivity of the new BMW 7 Series is ensured by the vehicle's own 5G-capable antenna system.

The 7 Series also comes as a BMW Protection Vehicle

A high-security vehicle based on the new BMW 7 Series is already in development and will be added to the lineup over the course of 2023. The mere mention of this vehicle shows how far our trust must have diminished: such vehicles were once developed behind closed doors, but today they are part of the lineup.

Which brings us to the weight issue, and it's really bitter: there won't be much under 2.5 tons of curb weight for the 7 Series, and the Protection version is likely to exceed the three-ton mark. This raises the question of why one needs to set almost three tons of vehicle in motion with a chauffeur just to comfortably get two people from A to B... it will be interesting to see how customers decide on this "between-all-stools 7 Series."

What does that mean?

One for everything: The new 7 Series wants to please everyone and offers more space, comfort, performance, and luxury than ever before. But as a result, it becomes incredibly heavy and expensive, and thus remains stuck between the old combustion engine world and the new electric world. Objectively, it will be an extremely comfortable luxury limousine, but it offers no vision for any luxurious future. Instead, BMW seems to operate under the motto: more is better... which could be too little in the long run.