It’s only been four years since we first saw the G70 BMW 7 Series, and so radical was the design that it still looks fresh today. Still, that hasn’t stopped Munich from performing a double-quick refresh of its luxurious flagship – unveiled in Beijing ahead of this year’s Auto China show – as it remakes its entire lineup in the Neue Klasse‘s image.
Not that the refreshed 7er looks anything like the new iX3 and i3 from the outside, as BMW continues to maintain a distinct design language for its luxury models – which also include the X7 – that is separate from the rest of the lineup. Thus, the car is still set apart through split headlights and a ginormous double kidney grille; if you didn’t like what the last one looked like, there’s a high chance you won’t like this new one, either.
In fact, BMW has doubled down on this aesthetic with what it calls a “monolithic appearance”, featuring slimmer and flatter eyebrow-style daytime running lights – still optionally available with crystals, just without the Swarovski branding – and vertical headlights tucked into the bumper corners. These flank a slimmer, more upright grille with horizontal instead of vertical slats, making it look slightly less ostentatious.
The Iconic Glow grille illumination returns, but the lighting now goes around the entirety of the twin kidneys instead of being split in the middle. This has been enabled through the moving of the front camera and various sensors from the middle to the left side.
Up top, the BMW badge is “cupped” by a central bonnet valley – one of the few design cues lifted from the Neue Klasse models. The optional M Sport package is now more subtle, with a larger centre air intake (really just a bigger gloss black surround) being the only differentiator from the front – surely a less polarising look compared to its almost gurning two-tone predecessor.
Along the side, the 7 Series gains the new-look door mirrors from the Neue Klasse models, as well as a slimmer trim strip on the side skirts. These strips are now finished in silver, as BMW continues to reduce its reliance on the less eco-friendly chrome. Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the redesign is at the back, where you’ll find dramatically widened dual-bar taillights that reach all the way to the badge.
The rear roundel is framed by the same indentation as the front, while the bumper – which still houses the number plate – gets a cleaner design with a sportier diffuser-like look. Finishing off the exterior revamp are new welcome and goodbye sequences for the lighting, as well as a “dynamic” light carpet with a linear pattern and the BMW script – a surprisingly classic interpretation.
Meanwhile, wheel sizes are now an inch larger than before and now range from 20 to 22 inches, while the selection of over 500 paint finishes (still including two-tone colour schemes with a pinstripe) gains a new BMW Individual Dual Finish option, the world’s first combination of matte and gloss finishes from the factory.
Step inside through the powered doors (now faster and with more precise radar sensors to make them easier to use) and you’ll see where all the inspiration from the Neue Klasse has gone into. Yes, even the 7 Series now gets the latest Panoramic iDrive interface, led by the large 17.9-inch parallelogram touchscreen placed close to the steering wheel.
The eyes will also be drawn to the Panoramic Vision projected display that spans from pillar to pillar at the base of the windscreen. We’ve been told that the windscreen has been treated with a special coating at the bottom to allow the display to be used with polarised sunglasses, so owners looking to tint the glass are advised to cut the film at the frit (black line). There’s also a 3D head-up display that projects driving information on top of the Panoramic Vision display.
For the first time on a BMW, the 7 Series comes with a passenger display as standard. Significantly smaller than the main touchscreen, it comes in a 21:9 aspect ratio that makes it better for watching widescreen movies. The passenger can watch videos while on the move, with the driver monitor camera able to detect if the driver is looking at the screen; the display is then darkened to prevent distracted driving.
As per the iX3 and i3, the 7 Series gets a new-style steering wheel with clearly-defined thumb rests and spokes at 12 and 6 o’clock. Here, the spokes are lined in leather for a classier touch, but if you think the unconventional spoke positions are just a bit much, there’s always the usual M Sport ‘wheel with the spokes at 5 and 8 o’clock. The “Shy Tech” controls feature indents and haptic feedback in a bid to make them more intuitive to use, making up for the fact they are capacitive touch panels in the first place.
You can, as before, spec the car with plenty of high-end features, including a 36-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system with seat cushion exciters for a “4D” effect, now with Dolby Atmos surround sound support and optimised acoustics. A panoramic sunroof and four-zone auto air con come standard, and buyers can also choose from various trim and upholstery options, plus crystal controls.
In true luxury sedan form, the rear seats are really where you’d want to be, with optional Executive Lounge seats that can almost fully recline and come with an ottoman on the passenger side. You get your own Qi wireless charger back here and new halo lights built into the backs of the front headrests, but the pièce de résistance still comes from the ceiling.
There sits the 31.3-inch 8K Theatre Screen that folds out, now with an additional camera for video conferencing. It no longer has a built-in Amazon Fire TV; instead, the streaming apps are integrated into BMW Operating System X itself and shared with the rest of the displays. As before, the side and rear sunshades deploy automatically whenever Theatre Mode is activated.
Under the bonnet, the 7 Series is powered solely by uprated 3.0 litre turbo straight-sixes paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox, fitted with an 18 PS/200 Nm 48-volt mild hybrid technology across the range. The B58 petrol mill makes 286 PS and 425 Nm of torque in the 735 (note the lack of an “i” this time around) and 400 PS and 580 Nm in the 740, while the B57 diesel makes 313 PS and 670 Nm in the 740d.
The 760i powered by a detuned BMW M S68 4.4 litre twin-turbo V8 has been discontinued for now, but a comfort performance multi-cylinder variant will likely soon return to take on the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. This is expected to form part of the now wholly BMW-owned Alpina sub-brand, featuring revamped versions of the Buchloe tuner’s throttle-body-and-crankshaft badging, side graphics and 20-spoke alloys.
Plug-in hybrid models are also on offer, these being the 750e with a 310 PS/450 Nm B58 and a 197 PS/280 Nm electric motor for an unchanged 489 PS and 700 Nm combined, as well as an M760e with a tuned 426 PS/540 Nm B58 for a total of 612 PS and 800 Nm (up 41 PS). They come with pure electric ranges of up to 82 km and 80 km respectively, which is actually down on the previous maximum of 87 km and 85 km.
The big change is to the electric i7, which has received a string of tweaks. Even the base 50 xDrive (previously the eDrive50) is now dual-motor all-wheel drive, although the output figures are unchanged at 455 PS (335 kW) and 660 Nm for the 50 xDrive, 544 PS (400 kW) and 745 Nm for the 60 xDrive (née xDrive60) and 680 PS (500 kW) and 1,015 Nm for the M70 xDrive.
It’s the battery that’s all new, using the Gen6 cylindrical cells from the iX3 and i3 (installed in the original casing by Rimac in Croatia, then shipped over to Dingolfing where the rest of the car is made), offering a 20% increase in volumetric energy capacity compared to the old prismatic Gen5 cells. Total capacity has thus risen from 101.7 kWh to 112.5 kWh nett, meaning that the i7 is now a genuine 700 km car.
Range figures are 708 km for the 50 xDrive (up from 611 km in the previous eDrive50, despite the switch to AWD), 707 km for the 60 xDrive (up from 625 km) and 650 km for the M70 xDrive (up from 560 km). You also get more powerful DC fast charging at up to 250 kW (up from 195 kW).
You should note, however, that the i7 is still built on a 400-volt electrical architecture, and the higher charging rate was achieved by increasing the amperage to 630A, rather than switching to an 800-volt system. As such, you will only reach maximum speeds if you’re using a charger with high enough amps, like a Tesla Supercharger, which the vast majority of 800-volt chargers in Malaysia won’t be able to reach.
The 7 Series continues to ride on air suspension at the front and rear, with standard and Professional versions (the latter with active roll stabilisation) of Adaptive Chassis Control – both with rear-wheel steering – available as options. Also fitted is a brake-by-wire system and a traction control built directly into the ECU for faster actuation – both technologies are now commonplace on BMWs.
As standard, the 7 Series comes with Driving Assistant Plus suite of driver assists, including adaptive cruise control and lane centring assist for Level 2 semi-autonomous driving functionality, as well as autonomous emergency braking, evasive steering assist, blind spot monitoring with collision prevention, front and rear cross traffic alert with auto brake and a door opening warning. Park assist with space detection using AI technology is also fitted to all models.
Unfortunately, BMW is discontinuing Level 3 autonomy with the advent of the LCI, citing low demand. In its place are highly-automated Level 2 systems that provide hands-off, eyes-on driving on highways and city streets, the latter likely launching in China first.
As with the Neue Klasse models, the system allows the driver to add steering, throttle and even light braking inputs – BMW calls this Symbiotic Drive – without either fighting you (like many highly autonomous cars from China, for example) or switching off altogether (like with Tesla’s Autopilot). The 7 Series LCI will enter production in Dingolfing starting this July.
