This is a highly disruptive new BMW 7 Series.
On April 20, as the most important member of BMW's new lineup of large luxury vehicles, the new BMW 7 Series held its global debut in Beijing, showing the world the innovative BMW i7 for the first time. This will be the fifth pure electric product brought by the BMW Group to China and the flagship of the BMW Group's pure electric product lineup. It can be said that the two new cars have single-handedly shaped a new imagination in the large luxury car market.
As Chiptse, Chairman of the BMW Group, said: "The new BMW 7 Series is bmw's pinnacle, combining trend-setting subversive design with innovative technology. The innovative BMW i7 is the strongest of the 7 Series, the latest example of BMW's successful development and determined electrification transformation. ”
In the past, in this market with strong consumption power, the renewal of brand flagship models usually fell on luxury and length. This is the traditional way of playing. Buyers are also more than happy to pay for it.
But now it's all changed. The background has changed, and intelligence and electrification have become an irreversible trend. User demand has changed, and the consumption power is still super strong, but the requirements for luxury have been labeled as innovative technology. After all, what car owner doesn't want to make himself a "leader of the times"?
Therefore, it is necessary to use a new imagination to trigger a new pattern:
The sense of luxury cannot be lost, but how to luxury produce a sense of leadership and forward-looking is the highlight. Flagship power must be adhered to, but how to grasp the most unique tone in the same level in the new era is the most important.
Facing the new BMW 7 Series is such a very challenging issue. In other words, how flagship luxury continues to be reinforced in the new era.
For this reason, the BMW Group presents us with their new achievements in intelligence and electrification – the innovation BMW i7. The new car is equipped with the BMW Group's fifth-generation electric drive system, and also uses an advanced computing platform and intelligent equipment, which technically has the possibility of L3 level automatic driving. Especially in terms of design ideas, the exterior design and intelligent cockpit bring a series of unprecedented innovations and artistic designs, highlighting breakthrough design concepts everywhere.
【A problem has been solved】
The idea of the new BMW 7 Series and i7 is to disrupt, subvert, or subvert.
The first disruption is design.
For luxury brands, design is the first position of the core product strength of flagship models, representing the future development direction of the brand. Then it is necessary to make forward-looking insights on the basis of retaining the design elements of the signboard.
But the identity of the flagship allows it not to over-release itself.
So there are more innovators and fewer disruptors.
The new BMW 7 Series and i7 are on a disruptive path. Although we had already spied some details in various information before the global launch, and even had the premonition that "this will be a big difference" of the new BMW 7 Series, when we first saw the real car, it still brought great shock.
Simply put, it is big, atmospheric and ingenious.
The first is the big. As the flagship model, the new car brings body data on the wheelbase of 5,391 mm long, 1,950 mm wide, 1,548 mm high and 3215 mm. In terms of length, it is 118mm longer than the 7 series of the long shaft version currently on sale. The large size not only establishes the basis for a large and comfortable space, but also leaves enough room for the design to play.
And big, it brings the atmosphere.
The first is the design of the front face, which has two of the most eye-catching design elements:
The huge BMW ring flare grille and the BMW Large Luxury Car split headlights with crystal daytime running lights. It's a fantastic visual experience. The large size of the luminous grille and the light of the daytime running lights bring a sense of seriousness that belongs only to the flagship model, but this seriousness is not old-fashioned, but a spirit.
The second is the body line.
The body contour line extends from the upturned front of the car to the full and powerful rear. This brings on the one hand the sense of elegance that is indispensable to the flagship model, and on the other hand, the sense of muscle carving that conforms to the aesthetics of the moment. Firm and powerful at the same time, with a sense of calm.
Finally, the interior atmosphere.
As flagship models, the new BMW 7 Series and i7 make a "simple method of all additions" in the interior atmosphere.
BMW surround interactive light belt plus BMW integrated suspension curved screen brings a sense of futuristic technology and temperature to the interior of the car; crystal knobs, gear shift levers and sitting adjustment buttons, together with the first time to provide Merino leather/cashmere combination interior design, bring the flagship model's essential sense of luxury; and the newly designed panoramic star track canopy creates an atmosphere of comfort, spaciousness and mystery.
All of the above, together with the "Shy Tech" invisible technology design principles, form a sense of simplicity in the interior of the new BMW 7 Series and i7.
If the atmosphere brings an aura, then some ingenuity in the design constitutes the unique temperament of this car.
The first is that when the user approaches the car, the BMW ring light grille, THE BMW crystal daytime running lights and the ink rhythm welcome light blanket and the light and shadow elements in the car will be lit up in turn, and the flagship model must provide the owner with this sense of ceremony.
Also there is the rear window area composed of classic Horns corners and matrix geometric dark grains. Needless to say, this is the soul element of BMW's design. The role of matrix geometric dark grain is to ensure the lighting of the rear row while maintaining the privacy of the user.
The second disruption is digital technology.
The new BMW 7 Series and i7 are both rational and emotional in the subversion of digital technology.
Rationality lies in hardware matching.
The BMW All-in-One Floating Curved Screen in the front compartment combines a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with a 14.9-inch touch centre display. This is both in line with future design trends and reflects BMW's digital cockpit to respond to consumer demand.
This is followed by the most subversive and innovative rear BMW suspension giant screen. This is a smartly integrated roof interior, 31-inch ultra-wide panoramic display with a resolution of up to 8K, capable of supporting entertainment content in 32:9 mode. The internal blessing of Huawei's application market also makes BMW the first luxury car brand to carry huawei application market in the rear entertainment system.
The emotional aspect of the new BMW 7 Series and i7 digital technology is that it can communicate with users in a more temperate way.
The new BMW iDrive and BMW OS 8.0 bring different theme modes to the interior of the car, especially four new theme modes for the first time: "Relax", "Expressive", "Digital Art" and "Theater". Coupled with the earlier release of the Personal, Sport and Energy Efficient modes, BMW has incorporated rich emotions into stunning innovations, turning the new car into a stage for true self-expression.
In addition, the newly upgraded BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant was also unveiled for the first time on the new BMW 7 Series and i7. In addition to the smart and anthropomorphic intelligent assistant visual image, it also supports 20 new functions such as opening and closing the door and activating the massage of the designated seat. If human-machine communication was a key for new forces to pry open the market in the past, then for traditional luxury brands such as BMW, they now have the meaning of it.
The third disruption is the driving form.
"The new BMW 7 Series is the first large luxury sedan to truly offer multiple drive forms, offering all-electric, plug-in hybrid and advanced fuel engine drive." Speaking about the power part of the new BMW 7 Series, BMW Group Chairman Chiptzer said.
The advantage of this is that it can fully meet the power needs of the owners of the new BMW 7 Series.
Fans of fuel pie can continue to enjoy the fun of fuel with the 48V light mix system. Users who pursue pure electric driving pleasure can experience the performance of pure electricity with the innovative BMW i7 equipped with the fifth-generation BMW eDrive system, while the 600 km range also clears away the range anxiety. And the eclectic pie, there is also plug-in hybrid to meet their own "want" between fuel and pure electricity pleasure.
In summary, the subversiveness of the new BMW 7 Series and i7 lies in the full understanding of what is called the "all" of users. And to achieve boldness, carefulness and practical landing.
Reflect the texture of the flagship model of the configuration and the aura that should be, you have to. A more user-friendly configuration that is ahead of the current era's user needs is more important.
The field of large luxury cars is a special market, and the tonality of the flagship products in addition to giving the brand the space to play, but also invisibly restricts the development. Because radical disruption represents too much uncertainty. Once there is a deviation, the impact on the brand image is great.
But the new BMW 7 Series and i7 are the ones that dare to subvert.
Combing through the underlying logic, you will find that the subversion of the new BMW 7 series and i7 is actually a new path of expressing luxury, which is a two-way integration of product thinking and user thinking.
What is the product logic? It is to position the demand. User thinking is to experience the value of the product. Two-way integration is to dynamically consider the relationship between the two at the same time. This is even more difficult for a brand.
The debut of the new BMW 7 Series and i7 is a real problem for competitors at the same level: if they dare not subvert, they will lose their competitive position. If you want to subvert, you have to redouble your efforts and determination to achieve it.
So now the inner line of the new BMW 7 Series should be:
"My subversion is a problem for others."
【Gave some tips】
Now let's talk about the layout and layout.
At the global launch of the new BMW 7 Series, BMW Group Chairman Chiptzer said:
"China's movements today will lead the world in the direction of tomorrow."
In a word, it points out the development of the new BMW 7 Series and the BMW brand from now to the future. There are three key words: "Today, China and Tomorrow".
Let's talk about today.
2022 is a key milestone for the BMW brand, which is undergoing an electrification transformation. This year, BMW will accelerate the pace of electrification in the Chinese market, bringing five pure electric models to Chinese users so far, including the innovative BMW i7. It is expected that within this year, there will be 15 pure electric vehicle models including mass production and trial production. Therefore, 2022 is an extremely important year for BMW to fully roll out pure electric models.
Then we focus on China.
At the end of last year, the BMW Group announced its "home in China" development strategy. At this global launch ceremony, we can also feel the importance of the Chinese market for BMW's global development.
First of all, China is the BMW Group's largest market in the world. In the case of the new BWM 7 Series, for example, the Chinese market currently accounts for half of sales. From the perspective of profit, brand development and product transformation, the Chinese market is the catalyst for the future development of the BMW Group.
Secondly, the Chinese market represents the development context of the global market in the future. At present, in the field of electrification and intelligence, the Chinese market has an increasingly high voice in the world. The needs of Chinese users are essentially also prompting various car brands to undergo qualitative changes.
What do Chinese users care about? In the past, it was enlarged, but now it is not only large, but also a unique sense of luxury, a leading level of intelligence, and a more all-round interior space and comfort performance.
Therefore, when the new BMW 7 Series was launched in the world, it was not surprising that Chiptzer said that "the new BMW 7 Series is inspired by China" and "The new BMW 7 Series, focusing on meeting the needs of Chinese customers". ”
Finally, look ahead to tomorrow.
The BMW Group currently has two macro visions.
The first is the product layout, the "new generation" model based on the new architecture will start trial production in 2024 and be unveiled in 2025. By the end of 2025, the BMW Group will deliver 2 million pure electric vehicles worldwide, and a quarter of sales in the Chinese market will be pure electric models.
The BMW Group's larger vision is to work with the world to combat climate change. As Ziptzer mentioned in this global launch:
"The BMW Group firmly supports the 1.5°C temperature control target of the Paris Agreement. Achieving carbon neutrality and promoting sustainable development is not only our mission, but also our responsibility. At the same time, we also fully support China's high-quality and sustainable development. ”
It is foreseeable that the future development of the BMW Group based on the Chinese market will inevitably further accelerate its electrification transformation under the advantages of technology and system to fulfill its social responsibility.
By combing through the above keywords, we will find that "China" is actually the most important part of the future development of the BMW Group. This not only includes the market environment, but also includes the layout of product development, and determines the general direction of the future development of car companies.
Therefore, the bmw group's development route that has not been in the Chinese market from the global debut of the new BMW 7 series is actually a model for other luxury brands that want to continue to deepen their layout in the Chinese market.
But how it develops depends on the determination of each brand.
【Summary】
So, what is flagship luxury?
In the past, it was the luxury of materials and design. In the new era, it is after the upgrading of consumer concepts, with a unique product concept to establish a subversive development path.
Who exactly has the new BMW 7 Series upended?
First of all, it subverted itself, and the breakthrough design concept, intelligent configuration and emphasis on key markets were different from the past. Secondly, the subversion of the market, the current only innovation is not enough, only with a share of ALL IN investment, in order to drive the arrival of a new pattern.
So when other brands have not yet fully landed their subversive selves, let's first look at the new BMW 7 Series SOLO.