First drive: Is the BMW i7 the new electric luxury benchmark?
Tuesday, 24 January 2023
BMW i7 xDrive60
Price: $276,900 (Plus on-road costs)
Powertrain: Dual synchronous motors, 400kW/745Nm, 19.6kWh/100km,106.5kWh battery, 625km range, AWD.
Body style: Sedan.
On sale: Now
Pour yourself a glass of champers and smear some caviar on a Meal Mate, BMW has released an all-new 7 Series. But while the new 7 continues the nameplate’s reputation for segment-defining luxury and technology, there’s significant change afoot, too – it’s now exclusively sold as an EV. Ish.
Make me an instant expert: what do I need to know?
Although we drove two flavours of 7 Series at the model’s recent launch event in Melbourne, the 3.0-litre inline six mild hybrid 740i and the fully electric dual-motor 400kW/745Nm i7, New Zealand is set to only get the latter … for now. Two plug-in hybrid 7s were unveiled last September, and it seems likely that at least one will eventually land here.
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Historically, the 7 Series has long lived in the shadow of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The three-pointed star flagship is often celebrated for the technologies that it pioneered, many of which – like crumple zones, stop and go radar cruise control, and electronic ABS – are commonplace today.
The typical counter to this is a reminder of BMW’s ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ mantra. The brand still clearly believes in this thinking, with the 7 Series characterised as ‘the best car to drive, be the best car to be driven in' during its launch presentation. Given the increasingly vast weight of cars in this segment (doubly so for those that are EVs), how they actually handle a fun piece of road is becoming increasingly irrelevant.
The new 7’s game plan is clearly to throw an utter tsunami of technology at customers. The amount of toys on show in the all-new 7 Series is immense and intimidating. If we were to rattle them all off one by one, there’s every chance we wouldn’t be able to fit them all into this article’s word count.
A grab-bag of the 7 Series’ most ostentatious features, then. Well, each headlight has four Swarovski crystals inside that glimmer when illuminated. Each of the electronically-powered doors can be opened or closed automatically via the keyfob or through buttons inside. There’s a cashmere and wool blend upholstery option available, which looks and feels much more opulent than the typical leather.
It’s BMW’s use of screens is where it gains the most on its most logical rival; the Mercedes-AMG EQS. There’s no attempt at a direct response to the ‘Hyperscreen’, with BMW instead opting for a familiar curved 14.9-inch touchscreen with matching digi cluster. The new tricks can all be found in the back. Each rear occupant gets a remote control touchscreen integrated into their door, allowing them to recline their ‘Executive Lounge Seats’, adjust aircon settings, and open and close the surrounding sunblinds.
The two remotes also allow rear occupants to fold down the enormous 31.3-inch ultra-wide ‘Theatre Screen’ mounted to the ceiling. Paired to the 7’s 35-speaker 4D Bowers & Wilkins sound system, the experience of choosing an action flick (in our case, the trailer to Top Gun on loop) and cranking up the volume is nothing short of remarkable. It’s a proper five-seater, too, with the bulky arm rest capable of neatly folding into the seat back. Having sampled the EQS last year, BMW’s victory in the back-seat stakes is clear cut.
Although, it’s not without a catch or two.
Where did you drive it?
For the launch of the 7 Series we traversed a familiar route from Melbourne’s CBD through the Yarra Glen and Yarra Valley. This is a recurring route for car manufacturers for good reason, as it includes motorway and highway commuting with a splash of twisty country B-road fun on the side.
The i7 is more than competent on curly roads. While it isn’t necessarily a riot, its abilities have to be commended given the physics it comes up against. Even with a weight of approximately 2700kg, it manages to feel quite light footed. It rotates nicely in the tighter stuff, too, thanks to new electric anti-roll bars and BMW’s integral active four-wheel steering system – a system that BMW says means the 7 can move as well as a 3 Series. A little hyperbolic maybe, but impressive nevertheless.
Inevitably, when the roads straighten out, the i7 is rapid in a straight line. Anyone who’s driven the iX M60 will be familiar with the way it delivers its instant electric power and torque. Plant the right foot, and you’re met with an instant kick of thrust. There’s a second-phase lag, probably a result of that 2.7 tonne heft. With enough room, it will hussle to 100kph in 7.4 seconds.
Of course, anyone well read on these big luxo barges will know that how it steers and goes is nowhere near as important as how it rides. And I’m pleased to report that the i7 is fantastically plush. Its dual-axle adaptive air suspension was happy to soak up whatever bump came its way, including the more fussy and brittle stuff that tends to trip up some Euros.
Out in the wild with real sunlight illuminating each of its meticulous contours, the 7’s somewhat ‘out there’ styling started to make a little bit of sense. I remain critical of BMW’s new exterior styling direction, particularly when it comes to the iX and 4 Series, but the 7 is perhaps the most resolved of the bunch.
Like the iX, the cabin is a different story – BMW’s sumptuous material choices complemented by a fabulous sci-fi dashboard layout. The latter is aided most by the company’s new ‘Interaction Bar’; a backlit crystal panel that spans the dash and front doors. The 7’s enlarged height and higher seat position mean the rear is much easier to get in and out of.
What’s the pick of the range?
There’s only one model, so I guess that’s the pick then? Next question?
Not quite. Those considering buying the i7 will need to recognise that some of its most impressive equipment is an optional extra. This includes the grand 31.3-inch telly in the back seat. This being optional might be a bit of a blessing in New Zealand, given that the platform that the screen uses to support all of its streaming services – Amazon Fire – isn’t actually available here yet.
Kiwi buyers will still be able to use the screen, but they’ll have to adopt the slightly less glamorous solution of plugging other devices into it to get it to work. Although even then it’s a little imperfect, with devices like Google Chromecast not capable of working with the screen.
While we’re on the topic of tech, we found a few other minor gripes. Although the augmented reality satnav is neat and surprisingly useful, we found the system itself to be a little slow and fiddly. The ‘Hey BMW’ voice interface can sometimes struggle to accurately hear commands (maybe it’s a New Zealand accent thing?). And while the Interaction Bar looks neat, the haptic controls within it can be difficult to spot when needed in a hurry.
Why would I buy it?
Compared to the aforementioned EQS, the new i7 is a more than worthy adversary, edging the three-pointed star in several key areas – namely its superior back seat. It’s also cheaper than the EQS, although I suspect this wouldn’t even cross the mind of most customers.
Why wouldn’t I buy it?
The i7’s tech is admittedly quite intimidating; a factor exacerbated by how some of the features are a chore to use. I also suspect that, even with the enormous battery the i7 comes with, there will be those eager for BMW to offer the 7 Series in plug-in hybrid form.