Electrified! BMW’s 8th Seven is With Us!
Comprehensively re-engineered BMW 7 Series now even more upmarket.
BMW’s eighth generation 7 Series limousine has been re-engineered from the ground up to shove it further upmarket than ever. Significantly larger, more luxurious, and more spacious than ever, the newcomer celebrated 45-years of Seven in Rolls Royce style.
Electric First – all-New i7 leads the way
Headlined by the new i7 to rival the Mercedes-Benz EQS and Porsche Taycan, the bi-motor 530 HP i7 xDrive60 will travel up to 388 miles on a charge according to the WLTP test cycle. The new i7 xDrive60 shares the iX xDrive60’s twin 245 HP front and 300 HP rear electric motor set-up with a combined 540 lb.-ft twist for 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds and a limited 149mph top speed.
It is powered by a 101.7 kWh lithium ion battery pack mounted in its floor to deliver combined consumption of between 18.4 and 19.6kWh/100km and a tight 50 mile, or 12% range variation. AC charging up to 11 kW on AC, or 195kW on a DC system makes for a claimed 106 miles range from a 10-minute charge. Battery temperature can be more precisely controlled, with more detailed charger information available on the car’s sat-nav.
Upgraded adaptive regenerative brakes take downhill sections and traffic lights into account on a planned route, to ensure optimal power regeneration. The ‘Gen 5’ electric powertrain does not contain any ‘rare earth’ materials, while its battery cells have been manufactured using ‘green energy’. Traditional diesel and petrol-electric plug-in hybrid Sevens will follow and a second, even more powerful 590 HP i7 M70 xDrive EV with ‘a substantial increase in torque ‘to rival the AMG EQS 53 will come mid-’23.
Seven is Bigger and Bolder than Ever
Featuring a bold new look based on customer feedback from China to the US, the new 7 Series is immediately different to look at. “We wanted to give the new model a more striking appearance,” 7 Series project boss Robert Kahlenberg points out. “Customers in our largest markets are now younger and demand a more contemporary look than perhaps what we’re used to in Europe, where the age of our buyers is higher.”
7’s ‘Iconic Lit’ double element grille is now even larger than before. It also carries over the new separated headlamp look with the LED DRLs above and the main beams from this week’s X7. To add greater presence to the even more defined long-bonnet three-box silhouette. Two feature lines create a pronounced shoulder, while internal touchpads replace traditional doorhandles. Seven’s boot line angles down slightly to iX-like LED taillights.
A technological tour de force to tackle limousines like the Mercedes S-Class, Audi A8 and Tesla Model S, the new 7 comes in three performance-inspired M Sport, M Sport Pro and M Performance styling packages. With the additional choice of chromed or blackened trims.
Seven Even Packs in a ‘Cinema Screen’
7 Series packs in several recent new BMW gadgets. They include a curved digital display running the latest iDrive 8 operating system atop a new style dashboard. It features a full-width light band housing both a 12.3″ instrument display and 14.9″ infotainment screen. There’s a new flat-bottom steering wheel and a new control panel with a gear selector. And a traditional rotary iDrive controller and other touch-sensitive controls. Options include a cool 31.3in, 8K rear cabin Amazon Fire TV ‘cinema’ screen.
The rest of the Seven range follows i7 in a range of mild-hybrid petrol and diesel, plug-in hybrid and pure-electric drivetrains later this year. All models will power both axles across and the model mix will be market related. There will be no petrol engines European markets. They will get new petrol-electric plug-in hybrids with an electric range of over 50 miles.
A 290 HP and 494 lb.-ft 740d xDrive has a newly developed Euro-6D compliant mild-hybrid assisted turbocharged 3-litre straight-six diesel. It’s good for 60 mph time of 6.2 second and a limited to 155 mph top end at 47.9 mpg. The petrol-electric 483 HP and 515 lb.-ft 750e xDrive, and 563 HP and 590 lb.-ft M760e xDrive use BMW’s latest turbo 3-litre straight-six petrol engine. They have a gearbox-mounted electric motor for 4.9 and 4.3 second 0-60 pace, and 57 and 52 mpg, respectively.
Petrol, Diesel, Hybrid, Electric – Pick Your Drive!
The battery electric i7 is set apart by a blanked-off grille and BMW i logo, unique bumpers and sills. Six-cylinder 735i and 740i models and a 760i xDrive V8-powered will be sold in some markets. The new Seven has an adaptive damped air suspension that will lift the car by 20 mm on rough roads. New Seven also has latest Integral Active four-wheel Steering. Optional active roll stabilization uses electric motors to suppress body roll.
Based on BMW’s heavily reworked CLAR platform in a new material mix that includes traditional steel, aluminum, and titanium. Engineers avoided any loss in rigidity. Wheel sizes spread from 19 to 22 inches.
New Seven is 5.1 inches longer at 17.7 ft, 1.9” broader at 6’3” and 2” taller, at 5’. Seven now only comes in one 10,4 feet wheelbase — or 0.2” longer than the old long-wheelbase model. Boot capacity varies according to the driveline. and your Seven will even tow a 4,629 lbs. trailer.
Photos: BMW