The split-face is sure to split opinion; awesome interior is less likely to do so. New flagship arrives in dealers before the end of the year.
BMW early Wednesday revealed the 2023 7 Series and i7. The seventh generation of the German brand’s flagship is positively packed with cutting-edge tech, from the latest and greatest driver assists, to a second-row theater experience to shame some home setups. When it arrives in dealerships at the tail-end of 2022, the latest 7 Series will also include a fully-electric i7 option for the first time.
Whether buyers opt for traditional gasoline or an electric model, the 7 Series features a new styling direction that’s sure to draw lots of comments. The brand calls the exterior design “monolithic” and “vertically prominent.” Up front, the new 7 features a split “face” similar to the revised X7 that debuted last week, separating the adaptive LED headlights from their thinner “eyebrows” above, which handle DRL, corner light, and turn signal duties. For extra bling, buyers will be able to option Swarovski crystals for the headlights.
The rear treatment is relatively restrained, with thin LED taillights set high on the tail. The latest 7 keeps a distinctly sedan profile, though we see more of the brand’s high-riders, like the X4 and X6, in the rear proportions.
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Buyers will have the choice of 11 exterior colors for the 7 Series, plus three additional options for the i7. BMW Individual will also offer two-tone options. 20-inch wheels are standard, with 19s and 21s on the options list.
We saw the new 7s in the metal last week in New York. Like many modern Bimmers, it works better in person than pictures suggest. The fuss-free flanks give it serious presence. There’s just the one length now, with no L model coming to North America, at least at launch. Still, at 212.2 inches (5,390 millimeters) nose to tail, the 7 Series is one of the largest sedans you can buy. And the increases in length and width have paid off with extra interior space.
If the 7’s exterior is divisive, we suspect there will be far more agreement on the interior treatment. BMW has embraced its “shy tech” approach here, with a pleasantly simple interior that emphasizes space and lightness. The scalloped dashboard is elegant, featuring a large swath of open pore wood that serves as a base for the curved digital display. Below that sits what BMW is calling the Interaction Bar. The crystal-surfaced trim piece stretches right across the dashboard, integrating touch-sensitive climate controls with seamless lighting elements and almost invisible air vents. The lighting changes depending on drive mode or user actions, and looks super-slick in motion.
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The 2023 BMW 7 Series and i7 run the latest version of iDrive 8.0 on the curved glass display, which combines a 12.3-inch instrument display and 14.9-inch central touchscreen.
New seat designs are standard in all 2023 7 Series models. Heating and ventilation are standard in the front on the 760i and i7, and optional for the rear seats. Also optional is the first use of cashmere for seating surfaces, blended with wool for a truly luxurious feel.
A standard glass roof features embedded LED lighting, which can change based on drive mode. The sliding shade is powered; sorry, iX fans, that car’s trick changing-opacity glass roof isn’t available here.
Of course, cars in this class are as much about being driven as driving them, so BMW has focused on the rear-seat experience. Four-zone climate control is standard, and passengers are able to modify their specific seat experience via 5.5-inch touchscreens built into the door armrests. This also opens up access to the 7’s star piece: the BMW Theater Screen. This 31.3-inch screen folds down from the headliner, with 8K resolution and full Amazon Fire TV integration. With the optional Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound system, which includes in-seat bass drivers, the Theater experience is likely better than most home setups—though probably not the ones found in a typical 7 Series buyer’s home.
Curiously, while the Theater Screen can fold down at any time while the car is driving, it does force the rear sunshade into position when activated. The reason? A BMW spokesperson told us it’s to prevent other road users from being distracted.
Want to relax? The Executive Lounge package allows for the rear passenger-side seat to recline 42.5 degrees—a class benchmark—with a seamless legrest built in. The package also extends massage functions to the rear thrones.
BMW has fit every driving assist it offers in the new 7 Series. These include the typical adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert, and automated emergency braking, plus a slew of others. An optional Highway Assistant allows for hands-free driving at up to 80 mph (129 km/h) on divided highways.
There’s even more tech we haven’t been able to properly expand on. BMW has included automatic opening and closing doors, for example. A digital key function makes it easy to share the car amongst family and friends. BMW has also improved its digital assistant, which now features the spoken words on screen to show that they have been understood. There’s an interior camera for taking selfies, a la the iX, and rear-seat passengers can use the audio system to handle phone calls. Important for those merger meetings, surely.
Not to be outdone by the design and interior teams, BMWs engineers have thoroughly reworked the limo’s drivetrain options. In America, the base engine will be the familiar 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six. It now runs on the Miller cycle, however, which improves efficiency. Horsepower now sits at 375 hp, a 40-pony jump from the outgoing car, with peak torque rated at 383 pound-feet. An integrated 48-volt mild hybrid system makes for smooth start/stop situations, and can briefly boost torque to 398 lb-ft. BMW bets on this being enough scoot for a dash to 60 mph in an even five seconds.
Next up is the 760i, which despite the badge, does not feature a V12. Instead, BMW’s torquey 4.4-liter turbo-V8 sits under the bluff hood, spitting out 536 hp and 553 lb-ft. With standard xDrive, expect this one to clip around a second off the highway-speed dash. It too features the 48V mild hybrid tech.
Then there’s the i7. The all-electric limo features two electric motors, with a 308-hp item acting on the rear axle, and a 255-hp motor up front. BMW is proud that these motors use no rare earth metals in their construction. Combined outputs are 536 hp and 549 lb-ft of torque. The i7 carries an extra 950 pounds (431 kg) over its gas-powered sibling, however, limiting its run to 62 mph to 4.7 seconds. So still very quick, then.
BMW says it has improved the charging and cooling for the 105.7-kWh battery pack sitting low in the i7’s chassis. It’s still capped at 11 kW of AC charging, and 195 kW when hooked up to a DC fast-charger. On the former, owners can expect a full charge in 10.5 hours. Fast chargers can pull off the 10-to-80 percent charge in as little as 34 minutes. The company expects an EPA range rating over 300 miles; in Canada, it’s estimating 496 km.
The 2023 7 Series will go on sale in Q4 2022. Pricing begins at $94,295 for the six-cylinder 740i in the US, after the customary $995 in destination charges. The 760i xDrive commands a $114,595 sticker, while the i7 xDrive60 tops the pile at $120,295. In Canada, both the 760i and i7 will begin at the same $147,000 CAD sticker, before destination. Pre-orders in both countries open today.
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