On April 20, the long-awaited new generation of BMW 7 Series in China ushered in the world premiere, and the BMW family's "luxury flagship car" evolved into the seventh generation of the family model. The new styling style of the front of the car has been "out of the water", compared with the previous generation of models, the interior luxury technology atmosphere is more intense, the new car will also provide fuel version, pure electric version (i7) to meet the needs of different buyers, will be listed in China this year. For reference, the current BMW 7 Series China market guidance price range is 828,000-2.6120 million yuan, and the price of the new generation model is expected to be close to that.
Appearance: Face value innovation, very topical
The new styling style of the front of the car has a revolutionary level change compared to the previous model
The double kidney grille can inherit and enlarge the longitudinal proportions, and the visual experience is more "robust"
Although it has been mentally prepared, the front face shape of the new generation of BMW 7 Series still brings a lot of visual impact. The new car continues the brand's classic double kidney grille design concept and enlarges the longitudinal proportions, the visual experience is more "robust", and also uses a ring light strip for decoration, officially called "ring light grille".
The split headlamp has become a new design style of the BMW family, in line with the new BMW X7
The split headlight group is also a major attraction of the new car, of which the upper two-stage daytime running lights are crystal clear, composed of "luxury crystal elements", and the lower near and far light groups are integrated with the bumper when they are extinguished, and this design style is also "similar to the mid-term redesign of the BMW X7".
Contrast the visual style of the 7th-generation BMW 7 Series and the 6th-generation BMW 7 Series front
Overall, the innovation of the new generation of BMW 7 Series in the front part of the car is very bold and even "risky", especially the design style of the split headlights, I don't know if it is in line with the tastes of luxury flagship car buyers, but it can be predicted that it is very hot.
The body shoulder line runs from the front to the rear, and the embedded door handles are moved down, and the overall body proportion is similar to that of the previous model
Pictured here is the sixth generation BMW 7 Series extended wheelbase edition 740Li leading M sports suit for sale
The built-in door handle brings a new feeling of opening the door, and the door also has an automatic opening and closing function, which can be controlled by buttons, voice, central control screen and other ways
From the side of the body, the new car will continue to maintain a stable body line, and the side skirt position resembles a "golf club" decoration to evolve into a more concise straight side skirt trim. At the same time, the new car will adopt a similar embedded door handle similar to the BMW iX with the times, and the position will also be moved down, which will bring a slight change in the way users open the door, and the previous "sliding door" opening method will be changed to the palm up opening action.
The picture shows the BMW i7, the classic design element "Horn" moved to the C-pillar position, and the rear window added texture to provide both light transmission and privacy needs
The bmw's classic design element "Horn" in the rear triangular window position has been newly interpreted and moved to the C-pillar position, and the rear window has added matrix geometric dark patterns to make the interior space more spacious and bright, while taking care of the privacy needs of passengers.
The body size data of the new generation BMW 7 Series has reached the leading level of the same level
In terms of size, the new generation of BMW 7 Series long wheelbase models reached 5391/1950/1548 mm in length, width and height, and the wheelbase reached 3215 mm, respectively, and the overall size reached and exceeded the level of the previous generation of BMW 7 Series long wheelbase models. Compared with the two main competitors, Mercedes-Benz S-Class long wheelbase and Audi A8L, in addition to the wheelbase similar to mercedes-Benz S-class long wheelbase model, the other three data are in the leading position, and the body length is close to 5.4 meters.
The rear plate frame is placed lower, resulting in a more holistic tail compartment cover
The taillight shape is more concise, and the BMW "3D stereostemporal suspension" taillight design concept is applied
The addition of the black under the encirclement moderately shows some sense of sportiness
The rear plate frame is placed lower, resulting in a more integrated tail box cover and a very simple shape. The L-type 3D stereostemporal taillights are similar to the BMW 8 Series, extending to the sides to widen the tail visual effect, and the two sides are also embellished with geometric dark lines to enhance the texture. The addition of the black under the encirclement moderately shows some sense of sportiness.
The pure electric version of the model i7 is consistent with the overall styling design of the fuel version of the model, but the front of the car adopts a fully enclosed grille
Charging connectors are set up in the front fenders (slow charge) and behind the passenger side (fast charge)
The BRAND LOGO before and after bmw i7 is surrounded by a blue ring, and the blue trim is appropriately added to the front, side skirt and rear of the car
For the design of the new generation of BMW 7 Series, the interpretations of others are indeed diverse and mixed. Let's hear how Duke, head of brand design at BMW Group, interprets the exterior design of the new car.
Duke, head of brand design at BMW Group
Duke said: "A luxury car brand is to innovate design and lead the trend, not to follow others. Luxury brands are meant to be market leaders and need to take risks. When BMW designs and takes risks, it also understands everyone's psychological effects. New cars have just hit the market and may not be as positive as feedback on social media. But the replacement cycle of a car is 7 years, 3 or 4 years later this car has become the leader in the market, everyone will have different ideas, but also realize that it is its outstanding design, unique selling points, creating its leading position in the market, only to prove that this car is a pure BMW 7 series and not other brands. ”
Interior: The luxurious atmosphere goes a step further
The front row of the new generation of models adopts an integrated dual screen, the number of physical buttons in the whole car is greatly reduced, and the center console is more concise
In the interior part, the new generation of BMW 7 Series uses a one-piece suspension double screen similar to the BMW iX, with a flat-bottomed multi-function steering wheel, following the principle of "Shy Tech" stealth technology, the number of physical buttons in the whole car has been greatly reduced, and the center console composed of horizontal visual language is much simpler than that of the previous model.
Behind the steering wheel is a 12.3-inch dashboard display
The BMW iDrive interactive system consists of a BMW operating system 8.0, an integrated floating curved screen (12.3-inch dashboard + 14.9-inch central control screen), a redesigned control panel and user interface. Moreover, the BMW 7 Series will also take the lead in equipping the newly upgraded car system, data computing power, image processing capabilities have been greatly improved, the "BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant" has been upgraded, the visual image is more anthropomorphic and flexible, and it will also support front and rear wake-ups, add 20 functions such as opening and closing doors, activating designated massage seats, etc.
14.9-inch central touch screen, air conditioning control shortcut keys are always kept in the lower shortcut area, ensuring the convenience of commonly used functions (with a PICTURE OF BMW i7)
The new car will also support 7 different theme modes, including four new theme modes (My Modes) that are applied for the first time, namely soothing mode, joyful mode, digital art mode, cinema mode, and the previously released personality, sports, and energy saving mode. iQiyi, Tencent Video, voice commands to wake up WeChat and other functions will also be launched.
In addition, AR real-life navigation, digital key Plus, 5G interconnection technology, Gigabit Ethernet and other functional technologies continue to maintain the "advanced" of the new generation of BMW 7 Series.
The feature island area retains the decoration of the crystal textured components, but the "chicken leg" gear handle is no longer replaced by a more elegant gear shift lever, which is consistent with the new BMW X7
The flat-bottom steering wheel has a stronger design, and the inner contour geometry polygon style is similar to that of the BMW iX
The BMW Wrap-around Interactive Light Strip design runs through the entire front dashboard and doors
The air conditioning control panel of the previous generation has been abolished and replaced by an interactive light strip that integrates touch function keys and ambient mood lights
The new car is the first to carry a BMW surrounded interactive light strip throughout the front dashboard and doors, which integrates a touch user interface, digital display, ambient lighting and decoration, and can present different visual effects according to different theme patterns. The hidden air outlet on the dashboard blends in with it, maintaining the overall feel of the design.
The paddle area features a wireless charging panel and cup holder to keep common functions within reach
The live-action model uses red seats with contrasting stitching, reticulation and punching, and the headrest has a sound speaker
The seat adjustment controls have been moved to the door lining position for easier operation
For the first time, the new car uses a leather/cashmere combination interior, a natural material that is soft to the touch and complements the sparkling crystal interior components, cut-out wood trim and metallic speaker cover to create a "luxurious" interior space.
The new BMW 7 Series will feature automatic opening and closing doors that can be opened via buttons, voice, My BMW APP, central control screen and key. The vehicle is equipped with advanced four-zone automatic air conditioning as standard, with a nano-scale air purification system to ensure the air quality in the car. It will also be equipped with a comfortable heating kit with infrared heating technology.
The roof will be equipped with a panoramic star track canopy, and users can control the color of the LED light on the canopy according to their personal preference
The rear row is equipped with a large 31-inch screen in front of the passenger's field of vision, with a 40-speaker BAUER Vegen audio, and the entertainment atmosphere is upgraded
A further upgrade of the luxurious atmosphere in the back row is the "highlight" of the new generation of BMW 7 Series. It is important that the new car features a "hovering giant screen" integrated on top of the vehicle, a 31-inch 8K resolution display, support for 32:9 panoramic playback mode, and has passed rigorous safety crash tests. As part of the rear entertainment experience, the new car will also be equipped with a 40-speaker Borgavegg 4D Diamond surround sound, which should not be too much to say that it is comparable to a "home theater". The screen entertainment system supports customized applications such as iQiyi and Huawei App Store.
The First Class seats have been completely upgraded with rear-up adjustments up to 42.5 degrees and integrated leg rests
The 31-inch widescreen entertainment system supports customized applications such as iQiyi and Huawei App Store
The vehicle will be equipped with four-zone air conditioning and a nano-scale air purification system to ensure the air quality in the car
Duke, BMW's head of design, also explained the design concept of the rear space, saying: "We have created a unique 'BMW mobile private theater' in the market through this large screen. Not only is the screen large, but it can also be folded to the roof while ensuring safety, which is not easy to achieve. But BMW not only guarantees product safety, but also provides a very good experience for rear passengers, creating a better rear entertainment space. ”
Power: The fuel engine is matched with a 48-volt light mix, and the electric version has an endurance of 600 kilometers
Fuel, plug-in hybrid, pure electric version of the model for buyers to choose
The new generation of BMW 7 Series will provide pure electric, plug-in hybrid, fuel-powered systems for different buyers to choose from. Among them, the pure electric version of the i7 is equipped with the fifth generation of eDrive electric drive system, which will have a cruising range of more than 600 kilometers, the maximum power of the dual-motor version is 400 kilowatts, the acceleration time of 0-100 kilometers / h is 4.7 seconds, and the energy consumption of 100 kilometers is as low as 18.4 kWh. (The above data is a European specification, and the Chinese model is subject to the listing announcement)
Fuel-fuel models are equipped with a 48-volt light mixing system, which will optimize fuel economy and power output. The new car will also provide L2 advanced driver assistance functions and support the use of L3 autonomous driving functions in the future.
New car background, intergenerational changes:
The first BMW 7 Series (E23), produced in 1977-1987
The second generation of the BMW 7 Series (E32), produced in 1986-1994
The third generation BMW 7 Series (E38), produced in 1994-2001
The fourth generation bmw 7 series (E65/E66/E67/E68), produced in 2001-2008
The fifth generation BMW 7 Series (F01/F02/F03/F04), produced in 2008-2015
The sixth generation bmw 7 series (G11/G12), produced in 2015 to the present
According to the BMW Group, the BMW 7 Series was first born in 1977, lasted 45 years of development, and has accumulated sales of more than 2 million units worldwide. Today, China is the most important market in the world for the BMW 7 Series, with nearly half of its sales coming from China. BMW 7 Series was previously sold in China is the sixth generation of models (standard axle: G11, long shaft: G12), the earliest listed in China in 2015, followed by the completion of the mid-term redesign in 2019, according to the BMW Group's product planning rhythm, the model life cycle is about seven years, this year will be listed is the new seventh generation BMW 7 Series (G70/G71).
Competitor Analysis:
The current Mercedes-Benz S-Class
The current Audi A8L
Sales volume comes from the traffic compulsory insurance data of domestic passenger cars in 2021
In the fuel car segment, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class ushered in a replacement last year, slightly ahead of the BMW 7 Series, and the Audi A8L will launch a mid-term remodel this year. From the perspective of market performance, in 2021, the sales volume of Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series and Audi A8L in the domestic market is 24,700 units, 22,300 units and 15,600 units, respectively, representing the competitive pattern of these three flagship vehicles in the domestic market last year. (Sales volume from passenger car insurance data)
Mercedes-Benz EQS
Audi Grandsphere concept car
With the development of electrification trends, luxury brand manufacturers have launched a layout in the field of pure electric flagship cars, and after the future listing of the BMW i7, competitors will still be models of old rivals, such as Mercedes-Benz EQS (107.96-151.86 million yuan) and the Audi Grandsphere mass production version of the model that will be put into production in the future. Looking at the entire automobile market, the BBA, which has occupied a dominant position in the field of fuel vehicles, can complete the "elephant turn" to seize the position of the pure electric luxury car market, which will be an important focus of the automotive market in the next five to ten years, and we will wait and see.
Source: Understand CheDi