However, in the next two generations of the 7 Series, BMW has returned to the traditional mediocre route, and the experimental design style of that year has disappeared with Bangor's departure, which inevitably makes fans feel nostalgic. No, the fun 7 Series is back, get rid of the boring appearance, the new car will be set with exaggerated design and fresh luxury creation, this time also unveiled with a pure electric version - i7. Next month, the new generation of the 7 Series will be unveiled simultaneously in Beijing, New York and Munich, and their arrival will also heat up the war of the new generation of large flagship cars.
Oversized luminous double kidney grille + split headlights
Under the leadership of its design director, Domagoj Dukec, the front face design of the BMW car is becoming increasingly intense, and the production car is believed to have been taught on models such as the 4 Series, M3 and iX, and the double kidney grille is unceremoniously stretched to an uproar. For the upcoming new generation of 7 series / i7, do not think that BMW will be because of its top flagship status and "mercy", as early as last year when the i7 in Sweden ice and snow test, BMW official has released a set of camouflage car official map, under the heavy camouflage of the car, at that time temporarily failed to see the specific shape of the grille, but can already see the elements of the split headlights and the side lines and the contour of the vehicle.
Interestingly, although the i7 front face is avant-garde enough, the body is still a traditional D-class luxury car, so it is still qualified to claim to be "the world's first all-electric luxury sedan" (EQS is a hatchback setting) even if it takes the Mercedes-Benz EQS as its opponent.
(i7 camouflage car official picture)
(BMW Design Supervisor Magoggi Duke was born in Frankfurt, Germany, graduated from the Pforzheim School of Design in 1989, joined the Volkswagen Group after graduation, and then joined Peugeot Citroen to lead the design.) Joining the BMW Group in 2010, the pursuit of boldness, electrification, digitalization and sustainability is his main theme. In recent years, the controversial replacement of the 4 series, iX, etc. is the design language led by him. ）
Regarding the official picture of the i7, BMW recently released only a silhouette photo of the front face to hang everyone's addiction. By sharply lifting the brightness and shadow details, it can be seen that the front face of the new car and the previous rendering conjecture of foreign media are not very far apart, and the area of the octagonal double kidney grille has been unsurprisingly increased to the point where it is difficult to ignore, not only that, the grille periphery also imitates the XM concept car, especially adding ultra-thin LED light strips, the LED light groups emitted on both sides of the front of the car are actually only part of the new split headlights, and there is another light group with real projection lighting below.
Personally, I think that the grille of the i7 is still more acceptable than the iX, and the double kidney is not as narrow and stingy as the iX, but is biased towards the stretched square, and the inside is a vertical straight waterfall trim strip, which is similar to the BMW fuel car we are familiar with. In addition, the i7's grille frame is made of crystal glass, and the lighting elements are embedded inside, which adds a conspicuous recognition at night.
(Foreign media rendering)
In terms of body size, BMW has not yet released data, but after all, the length of the D-class flagship sedan will be at least more than 5200mm. It is worth noting that the side of the i7 is quite similar to the second generation of the 7 series released in 1986, which belongs to the proportion of the visual perception is relatively flat and long, especially the "Hofmeister corner" of the back door is more similar. Although Duque, the head of design, once said in an interview that he "does not pursue retro design", such a tough and direct line direction is very different from the current BMW's rigid and soft style, and it is difficult not to remind people of the BMW of the eighties.
(2nd Generation 7 Series Code E32 1986-1994)
As for the rear design, it has not yet been shown in the trailer, and the camouflage car has also been covered tightly, and the square shape cannot see any highlights. The current 7 series uses a narrow L-shaped tail lamp, which is connected by chrome trim strips and through-type LED light strips in the middle, which looks exquisite and atmospheric. According to the renderings of foreign media, the new car seems to cancel this design, become more concise, and is closer to models such as X4 and 2 Series Gran Coupe. In my private heart, I don't really want the future 7 Series tail president to look like this, and the aura and sense of seniority are almost interesting.
(Current 7 series)
Stuffed with a number of innovative highlights, the 31-inch giant screen directly trailer roof
You are BMW's top flagship sedan, and in the trailer released recently, the new generation of the 7 Series will also have a number of exaggerated innovative equipment. Many of them are also the digital achievements that were amazingly unveiled at the 2022 North American Consumer Electronics Show (CES), including four new theme modes (My Modes), BMW floating screen (BMW Theatre Screen), BMW IconicSounds Electric, etc., I believe that the most attractive to the attention of car fans is the theater-level giant screen in the back row.
According to the interior spy photos that broke out not long ago, the new 7 series is not too aggressive, and will have a double screen like the latest BMW car, the steering wheel style and seat design are also quite BMW flavor, based on the flagship positioning of the 7 series, in the detail design and material materials believe that it will bring more surprises and interesting new gadgets. In terms of car mechanics, the trailer data pointed out that the new car will use a curved screen, and due to the angle problem and a layer of film in the spy photo, it is temporarily unable to see how much curvature there is.
The back row houses a 31-inch 8K giant screen cinema
The i7 not only has a large curved screen in the front seat, but also a 31-inch theater-level screen with a 32:9 ultra-wide ratio in the back seat, turning the back seat space into an exclusive private theater, allowing rear-seat passengers to enjoy the audio and video feast brought by the 31-inch theater screen while moving. However, this equipment is not the standard of the whole car series, and it will only be seen in the future on high-end or top-end models.
This 31-inch ultra-wide panoramic display with resolutions up to 8K is cleverly integrated into the car's canopy system and extends from the canopy to the front seat backrest. On-screen entertainment can be played in 16:9, 21:9, or even 32:9 formats, complemented by the Bowers & Wilkins 4D Diamond surround sound system for a superior immersive entertainment experience. The screen tilt and the position of the touch screen area on both sides are designed just right, allowing users to sit comfortably and easily operate.
In addition, the i7 will also be equipped with a Sky Lounge panoramic glass roof made of LED strips interlaced, and a special atmosphere lighting and function display on the interior panel of the central control dashboard and door, BMW emphasizes that it can create a better texture in terms of vision and touch.
My Modes theme mode
In 2021, BMW will create a new BMW iDrive with a driver-centric design, a new human-vehicle relationship, and advanced hardware and software and connectivity features that create a more personalized relationship between the driver and the vehicle, creating a unique experience throughout the journey. With the launch of the new BMW iDrive, BMW pioneered three my modes – Personal, Sport and Efficient. When the driver is a different person, as long as this function is activated, all the settings of the vehicle will become the driver's favorite mode, such as driving mode, interior atmosphere, seat adjustment, etc.
(Different modes demonstrated on bmw iX)
The newly sculpted and exquisite interface is perfectly presented in an all-in-one suspended curved screen in an artistic form, and vividly interprets the infectious design with the visual effects of intricate light and shadow, light and dark transformation. Relax and Expressive will be available in the second half of 2022, when users can get a new theme mode through the remote upgrade of the OTA.
Wrap-around interactive light band
Surrounded interactive light bands are laid out throughout the cockpit, and above them are crystal-cut, crystal-clear, multi-functional control elements that combine visual and tactile controls such as controlling ventilation and opening storage compartments. The same integrated suspended curved screen, together with the wrap-around interactive light strip that runs through the entire front dashboard and doors, can combine ambient mood lights with functional buttons to make the cockpit luxurious and futuristic. At the same time, the owner can also set the driving characteristics and atmosphere of the vehicle according to personal needs through the latest generation of iDrive operating system, switch multiple settings of the carriage, and enjoy a personalized multi-sensory experience.
L3 level automatic driving function
As early as last November, BMW's research and development director Frank Weber has revealed that the new generation of 7 Series will support L3 level assisted driving functions, which is probably the first time BMW officially confirmed that L3 level automatic driving will appear in the new model, and BMW will demonstrate the actual use of L3 level automatic driving within this year.
Starting from L3 level, the vehicle can effectively reduce the driver's operating intensity, which is a kind of ability to achieve automatic driving in a limited scenario, not a pure automatic driving ability that does not require manual operation at all, such as driving in congested roads, which can automatically control the acceleration, braking and steering of the vehicle, but when necessary, the car will be manually controlled by the high-speed driver. However, for now, in the global market, the market that allows L3-level automatic driving to land is still very limited, and how BMW will implement L3-level automatic driving at that time depends on the follow-up development.
The pursuit of the strongest sound insulation in history
According to BMW, luxury RVs have always pursued a high degree of tranquility in the car room, but after the electric vehicle lacks the sound of the speed of the fuel engine, the sound of the operation of the rest of the parts is more easily highlighted, so the NVH sound insulation project is bound to have a breakthrough.
In order to ensure the tranquility of the cabin, the original engineers detected various potential noise sources of the vehicle during the acoustic test, recorded the more irritating sound when the vehicle moved, and re-simulated it in the laboratory. Even the drive units are equipped with noise reduction technology, while minimizing the noise and vibration of the vehicle through enhanced body rigidity and special tires containing noise-absorbing foam.
In addition, the i7 is also equipped with an optimized lightweight sound insulation material, which is equipped with sound-absorbing panels in the A/B/C columns, seats, canopy and rear cabin, and the sound insulation materials with wool elements are also used in the doors, sills and wheel arch panels, which can greatly reduce rolling noise. Of course, if the car is too quiet and boring, i7 also provides exclusive kinetic sound effects (BMW IconicSounds Electric) created in cooperation with Grammys, Oscar and Golden Globe winners - internationally renowned composer Hans Zimmer.
Or have a strong motivation to surpass their own V12
(BMW iX perspective)
The new 7 Series will continue to use the CLAR platform, and the new i7 will use the same 5th generation eDrive system as the iX and i4, so the entire powertrain is expected to be not far from the iX, and the current iX provides power units such as xDrive40, xDrive50 and M60, and the maximum output of the top gauge is more than 600 horsepower. Since BMW has predicted that the i7 will become the most powerful 7 Series, the new car is expected to exceed the current M760i's 585 horsepower level.
Although the power output data has not yet been released, BMW has revealed that the i7 is expected to have a range of between 580 km and 610 km (WLTP), and the energy consumption is 19.7 to 18.9 kWh/100 km. Of course, there are also rumors that the i7 will be equipped with a 120kWh battery pack, and may also launch a high-performance version with a three-motor setting, with a maximum output of 740 horses.
As for the fuel version of the new 7 Series, it is expected to be dominated by a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder twin-turbo engine, with the introduction of 48V light mix and PHEV plug-in power, so that the new generation of 7 Series will have a fairly diversified choice of power cars to choose from.
Competitive environment
The subsidized price of EQS: 1.0796-151.86 million, which can also be inferred from the general range of the main sales model of the i7, and the most powerful version beyond the V12 power mentioned above may be priced at more than 2 million. Mercedes-Benz is best at blending technology and luxury, and the shape and radical changes of EQS may be difficult for D-class car customers to accept for a while, and the vehicle setting is very personalized, and the i7 is more inclined to take the traditional luxury car route, committed to pleasing the rear customers. A tradition, an avant-garde, who will attract the attention of multi-gold buyers more?
(For the fuel version of the new 7 series, the W223 S-class listed at the beginning of last year is a benchmark that cannot be ignored in the industry, although it was just launched because of the controversy in the shape and interior, but the local tycoons still proved the supremacy of the S-class with actions.) In 2021, a total of 87,064 S-Class units were delivered, an increase of 40%, and the Chinese market contributed 35.5% of sales; in addition, the more luxurious Maybach sales of the S-Class also increased by 50% to 15,730 units. By the time the new 7 Series is officially launched, these two old rivals who have been fighting for half a century can stage a series of vicious fights again. ）
Write at the end
In the just past fiscal year 2021, the BMW Group's global sales of new energy vehicles increased by 70% to more than 320,000 units. In order to continue this momentum, the BMW Group will accelerate the expansion of its pure electric product lineup. At the same time, the BMW Group also revealed that its mass production and trial production of pure electric vehicle models will reach 15 in 2022; the new generation of models based on the new structure will begin trial production in 2024 and be unveiled in 2025; by the end of 2025, the BMW Group plans to deliver 2 million pure electric vehicles worldwide. Judging from the various information disclosed so far, the new generation of 7 series has full sincerity in design and luxury technology, and Mercedes-Benz is different, BMW continues to put cutting-edge technology and luxury materials in the shell of the fuel version of the 7 series this time, in the face of the opponent of S-class / EQS, can the new 7 series that will be born open a new chapter? (Photo/Text/Photo: Yang Jiazhen, Pacific Auto Network)