BMW's 7 Series facelift is all about the grille
Thursday, 17 January 2019
These photos should perhaps come with some kind of trigger warning - after all, if you were offended by Chris Bangle's styling efforts at BMW, then you are gonna HATE this…
BMW has officially revealed the facelifted 7 Series, and it has taken the double kidney grille to a whole new level. Literally - that monstrous maw is a remarkable 50mm taller than the previous car, making the new 7 seriously imposing and bringing it in line with the forthcoming X7 SUV's massive overbearing grimace.
The tweaked 7 Series is also 22mm longer than the old car, which we imagine is all in those big chrome nostrils as well.
The blatantly vertical chromed vents behind the front wheel also make the transition across from the X7, while new bumpers, taillights and a number of aero tweaks also feature on the outside, as well as a few new paint finishes and alloy wheel designs, ranging from 18 to 21 inches.
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Inside is pure luxo-barge luxury, as you would expect, with a rear-seat entertainment system that comprises two 10-inch full-HD displays complete with a Blu-ray player (which might seem oddly low-tech for such a high tech car, but wait - there's more).
The 7 also gets the latest version of BMW's Touch Command unit - a removable 7-inch tablet that can be used from any seat (and even outside the vehicle) to operate 'comfort functions' such as seat adjustment, interior lighting and climate control, as well as the infotainment, navigation and communication systems. It can also be used to play external audio and video files if you are over the whole physical media thing.
As with previous 7s, the new car continues to be available in normal and long wheelbase variants, with a range of six, eight and twelve cylinder engines, including a plug-in hybrid version that now uses a six-cylinder engine.
The star under the bonnet, however, is the mighty 436kW/850Nm 6.6-litre V12 that can belt the M760Li to 100km/h from a standing start in a thoroughly silly (but utterly wonderful) 3.8 seconds.
But let's face it - it's that massive chrome nose that is going to get all the attention and - love it or hate it - it is the styling direction BMW is heading in. At least for it's big money range toppers.
Personally, I want to hate it, but I can't. It's big, imposing and in your face, just like big luxury cars used to be. It's distinctive and a long way from being an amorphous, generic blob. It ain't pretty, but then not everything has to be pretty.
Plus, the one big advantage massive overbearing grilles have is that their intimidating presence in mirrors make other people quickly get out of your way. And that is exactly what the buyer of a 7 Series wants…