Road test: BMW's $280,000 i7 may be the ultimate electric car

Tuesday, 13 June 2023

It used to be that, if you wanted to witness the future of motoring tech, all you needed to do was peek over the fence at what Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW were doing with their flagship ‘hurried political motorcade’ fare.

The advent of electric vehicles has created one heck of a shake-up in that regard. Now, exciting change can be found in vehicles across the full motoring spectrum. No complaints from me in the slightest, but it does take some of the shimmer away from the meaning of Germany’s fleet of luxury super sedan competitors.

That is, unless you find yourself in the supremely privileged position of hopping aboard BMW’s all-new i7.

BMW hasn’t ruled out adding a petrol-fuelled 7 back into the line-up one day). But, for now the 7 is only offered in New Zealand in what you see before you; the fully electric i7 – a 5.3-metre long 3-bedroom house of a car, long enough to almost fit a Fiat 500e between its wheels, and powered by dual electric motors and an enormous 106.5kWh battery capable of a theoretical 625km of travel to a charge.

**READ MORE:

* This week, Stuff Motoring goes electric

* When will EVs cost the same as petrol and diesel cars?

* Five EVs we're looking forward to in 2023

* Explainer: what do HEV, MHEV, PHEV, BEV and FCEV mean?

**

Electric, V8, hamster wheel hooked up to a blender … it doesn’t really matter what sits underneath the i7’s extremely long, chiselled bonnet – the i7 has a reputation to upkeep in order to be a true 7 Series.

It needs to be a comprehensive luxury vehicle showcase. It needs to dance the impossible dance between effortless comfort and ‘ultimate driving machine’. And, it needs to at least equal its Mercedes equivalent. In a Kiwi context, that’s the AMG EQS 53.

It also needs to carry styling that is both imposing and suave at the same time. The i7’s looks have, of course, been an enormous talking point in its build-up. Chances are that if you don’t like BMW’s ever increasing grilles, you’ll likely stick your nose up at the i7. I appreciate its classic lines and proportions, both of which cut an intimidating silhouette on the street. This is my favourite application of BMW’s grille obsession, with better integration than what we saw on the iX and 4 Series.

It won’t be surprising to hear that the i7 isn’t exactly a ‘car of the people’, as evidenced by its $281,100 base price tag (this one was $288,600 as tested, by virtue of the ‘Connoisseur Lounge’ option pack). But cars like it are still part of the electric vehicle transition puzzle, reinforcing that EVs can be objects to aspire to own and not merely ‘white goods’. That’s the theory, anyway.

Luxury cars like the i7, I would argue, represent a perfect place to plonk electrification. The silence of EV power fits perfectly with the need for cabin refinement. If the standard 7 Series’ 3.0-litre inline six is whisper quiet, then the i7’s electric dual motors are dead silent … the hushed output amplified by BMW’s active noise cancellation and foam absorbers in the tyres.

Attack the throttle and the i7 hurls itself to 100kph in 7.4 seconds. There’s a very slight initial hesitation, before the second phase tugs you into the back of your seat. Despite being considerably longer than a Toyota Land Cruiser, the i7 is quite easy to drive thanks to its light controls and four-wheel steering. This makes it easy to become confident on a curly road, which in turn makes it more placeable and more chuckable.

Perhaps more relevant to the i7’s likely daily duties carting dignitaries and politicians around urban centres is confirmation that these attributes translate to genuine manoeuvrability at low speeds. Never has a 5-metre car been so easy to parallel park.

At its January launch in Melbourne, BMW staffers made plenty of fuss about the i7’s dual-axle adaptive air suspension system. Depending on your drive mode, it adjusts your ride height in real time (raising itself 20mm when Comfort is selected, dropping 10mm when in Sport).

As fancy as its suspension is, it’s child’s play relative to the never-ending smorgasbord of other features BMW has crammed into the i7.

Four glimmering Swarovski crystals in each headlight. Electronic doors that can all be opened and closed in unison via the key fob. Ambient lighting channels in the panoramic glass roof, which echo the textured ‘Interaction Bar’ lighting that frames the dashboard. The plush ‘Executive Lounge’ back seats recline, and each come with their own 5.5-inch touchscreen control panels built into the door cards for accessing additional features.

The curved dual 14.9-inch touchscreen and digital cluster are ported across from the iX, alongside other familiar iX-isms like the crystal switchgear, a floating centre console, and a 35-speaker ‘4D’ Bowers & Wilkins sound system that includes a subwoofer in each front seat. One of the few spec disappointments is that Kiwis miss out on the frankly ridiculous 31.3-inch ultra-wide back seat ‘Theatre Screen’ offered in other regions.

The i7’s full spec sheet is an eye-watering read – perhaps even a slightly dystopian read in these cost-of-living times. But making sure the brochure is built like a Tolkien novel has always been a luxo-barge prerequisite. The real challenge is ensuring that all of this technology actually works, and that customers will get genuine joy out of it.

This is somewhere where the i7’s biggest rival, the EQS, falters. It too boasts a metres-long shopping list of impressive sounding tech. But, it’s let down by unconvincing execution and mixed build quality (the much lauded ‘Hyperscreen’ is a prime example).

BMW’s tech boffins have, by and large, completely sidestepped this issue. The net result is one of the most realised luxury cars on the market, and a watershed model for the hardworking folks in Munich.

The glue that holds it all together is BMW’s iDrive software. Its layout and presentation is a cut above the equivalent systems at Audi and Mercedes, making it all the more satisfying and straightforward to access the i7’s armada of tech toys.

There are a few little slights. The Interaction Bar lighting can be a little dazzling at night (although it can be customised) and the 4D audio isn’t quite segment leading to my ear.

But for each toy that didn’t impress, there were three that wowed. Over our test week with the i7, few features lost their lustre. The shimmering Swarovskis and bold cabin lighting were standout conversation starters that I enjoyed more, not less, as the seven days progressed.

The real finishing move, though, is the i7’s execution of the fundamentals. The focus on technology did not distract from the focus on the basics. It is enormously roomy inside. The detail metal highlights, leather, and carpet all feel elevated relative to standard Beemer fare. And cruising is as smooth as it is silent.

While the EQS co-exists as a separate model to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (the two built on totally different platforms and with different bodyshells), the i7 shares everything with the petrol equivalents not offered locally. Apparently, this was a deliberate measure designed to ensure that the user experience is streamlined regardless of whether you’re in a petrol or EV 7.

And there may be something to that. It won’t be surprising to hear that I have a clear preference out of this and the EQS. The i7’s sinister, divisive exterior envelopes arguably the most impressive and most comfortable interior of any car on sale today.

Not only is this the most resolved BMW ‘i’ product to date, it also acts as a truly fantastic showcase of what BMW is capable of.

Bonus images