【EV Vision Report】Anchoring a clear route and accelerating the electrification offensive, the BMW Group is leading the large luxury car segment into the era of pure electric. On April 20, the new generation of BMW 7 Series and its pure electric version bmw i7 were officially released. Both new cars will be built on the upgraded next-generation CLAR architecture. The exterior and interior will be designed in a new style, and the power side will be available in terms of internal combustion engine, plug-in hybrid and pure electric versions, which will also make it the only luxury large car in the same class to offer 3 power forms. According to EV Vision, the two new cars will be officially launched within this year, and competitors will lock in Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Audi A8L and other products of the same level.
Appearance of the new design futuristic hegemonic screen
The new BMW 7 Series features a new family-style design language, including the use of a large, illuminating front grille that will feature waterfall-like lighting at night. And the same split headlight set as the new BMW X7, with LED daytime running lights on the top and integrated laser headlights for far and near light on the lower part. The front face shape looks very recognizable. In addition, the fuel version is also different from the pure electric version of the lower bracket, bmw i7 looks more sporty.
On the side of the body, the new front of the car shows an upward posture, and the smooth body contour line extends from the front of the car to the rear, outlining a body posture that balances sport and atmospheric elegance. The C-pillar has a slip-on-back design, and the iconic Hofmeister corners are preserved on the new BMW 7 Series. In addition, the new car also features a hidden door handle design.
In terms of body size, the new 7 series length, width and height are 5391/1950/1548mm, wheelbase is 3215mm, all aspects of the overall improvement compared with the current model, especially the length increased by 118mm, the width and height also increased by about 50mm, laying the groundwork for the overall luxurious atmosphere.
The rear of the vehicle has also been newly designed, through the outlining of the profile and line to create a layered feeling, looking more three-dimensional, LED taillights are simple and slender, the side waist line and the tail ridge line are connected, widening the visual effect. In addition, the fuel version is basically the same as the overall rear of the pure electric version of the model, but the exhaust layout or blue and white decoration at the rear surround can be distinguished.
The interior is simple and not simple luxury attributes are highlighted
In terms of interior, the new BMW 7 series adopts a new design language, first of all, it is equipped with the same dual screen as iX and X7, the combination of 12.3-inch instrument + 14.9-inch central control screen, the built-in new iDrive 8 car machine system, and the new double-frame steering wheel, which adds a lot of color in terms of technology and luxury.
The through-line interactive light strip sets the ambient atmosphere lamp, which brings certain future attributes while enhancing the sense of science and technology, and the layered wrap-around lines and wood grain trims bring a comfortable and warm home-like effect.
For the first time, the new car offers a leather/cashmere combination interior, creating an elegant, warm and happy cockpit atmosphere. The seats have been completely upgraded, with back adjustments up to 42.5 and integrated leg rests, while the new car can also choose BMW's personalised Merino extended leather, combining look, feel and experience.
The new BMW 7 Series rear roof is equipped with a 31-inch through-screen officially known as the "BMW Cinema Screen", which has 8K resolution and offers 5G networking and a width of nearly 1m, and will be equipped with a high-definition webcam with a built-in 128G hard drive, Bluetooth headset and touch remote control. When not in use, you can choose to fold and hide, connect with the rear sunroof, and the screen can also support 16:9, 21:9 and other formats, and also offer Bowers & Wilkins 4D diamond surround sound system as an option.
The rear entertainment control panel is integrated into the door handle, making it easier for two rear passengers to operate at the same time than the current Pad design. According to EV Vision, the new car will also launch a 3-seat version of the model, and the distinguished experience of rear passengers will be further enhanced.
Three powertrains with a wide range of options
In terms of power, the new BMW 7 Series is available in fuel versions, all-electric and plug-in hybrids to meet the diverse choices of customers. The fuel version will provide an optimized 3.0T inline six-cylinder turbocharged engine and a new V8 engine, the 3.0T engine is tuned for low and high power, with a maximum power of 286/380Ps, and a maximum power of 544Ps for the 4.4T engine. In addition, the plug-in hybrid version of the 750 xDrive and M760e xDrive have a maximum power of 490Ps and 571Ps respectively; the pure electric version has a maximum power of 544Ps, a maximum torque of 745N·m, a 0-100 km/h acceleration of only 4.7 seconds, and a WLTP cruising range of 625 km. In addition, the new 7 Series offers L2 level driver assistance functions and can support L3 level automatic driving functions in the future.
Editor's summary: BMW has recently not only made changes in the flagship series of products, but also continued to exert efforts on the i-series electric products, and the new model i7 is to bring the two together to become BMW's pure electric flagship products. The new BMW 7 Series is the first model in the BBA flagship model to achieve a diversified driving method, so let's wait and see what the new car can achieve in this flagship battle.