Behold the latest BMW 7 Series, seventh of its name, here in two equally exciting formats.
Meet the Bavarian marque’s flagship sedan – a striking luxury car with yet another somewhat challenging front-end. It also arrives fully electrified in the slab-like form of the i7. I drove it alongside a traditional 3l petrol model and have much to report.
Challenging styling, yes. But this one seems to be better received than previous modern models – or so it seems. Each generation of 7 Series since its inception in 1977 has heralded in ‘world’s firsts’, including electronics, xenon lighting and such. But perhaps the most controversial addition has also been it’s most influential. I refer to the 2001 car’s original iDrive controller. It’s hard to think of a car from any manufacturer today that doesn’t employ a similar apparatus or familiar take on the user interface experience. With the 2023 model you’re seeing a drastic update to this via BMW’s OS8, featuring augmentation on a level you’ve not yet experienced. The brand will in fact be updating its OS to an 8.5 firmware in the coming months that will roll out via Over-The-Air (OTA) updates to millions of vehicles currently on the road (certain models from 2019 and later). This will essentially serve as a stopgap till BMW OS9. Why should you care? Well, that’s the frankly astonishing system BMW previewed in the recent I Vision Dee Concept so, it matters.
The i7 and ICE models (internal combustion engine) are for the most part identical. All feature new automatic doors, glowing crystal headlamps and illuminated kidneys. I dig it, but the sheer amount of bling on display proved off-putting to some of my peers and online audience. BMW does offer a remedy by way of an M Sport style pack that incorporated the usual array of aerodams and diffusers. The style assault only intensifies once you clamber aboard the cabin. It’s an opulent space, brimming with tech and toys, laden with mod cons, and saturated in the finest tactile surfaces. Mood lighting abounds, and stretches to the interactive dashboard bar that can change colour, pattern and more – it even lights up bright red when you activate your hazards. It’s a lot.
Drop a cheek into the rear of the cabin and the optional theatre screen at 31.5 inches immediately steals the show. It’s mega, and with an Internet connection essentially functions as a wide-screen smart TV. The automatically opening doors are another customizable party trick, and the overall sensation is that BMW has pulled absolutely zero punches outfitting the 7. Whilst all 7 Series sedans offer a range of moods (Sport, Efficient, Expressive, etc), in the electric i7, the mad scientists at BMW have dialed up the experience even further with interactive soundtracks. Composed by Hanz Zimmer, of all people. So, that was an absolute hoot. Top tip, switch your i7 into Expressive mode, then floor it. It’s like you’re starring in the next Christopher Nolan flick.
This kind of fun ain’t free though. For R2.8mil you can have a ‘budget Rolls-Royce EV’ in the i7 xDrive60 (I’m going to be crucified for this comparison), then there’s the 750d xDrive for R2.28mil and the 740i xDrive for R2mil. All share the same fundamentals underneath, an adaptive dual-axle suspension and adaptive suspension that comes standard. The Executive Drive Pro on our test car was an optional extra and endows your 7 with active steering and adjustability, which should help you park its 5.4m long body. Need more help? There are over 30 sensors incorporating cameras, ultrasound, radar, etc – and if that fails you, there’s also Maneuver Assist that will allow it to basically park itself. Sheer driving pleasure, hey.
Oh, about that, self-driving stuff. The new 7 Series is highly automated – rated at ‘Driving Level 3’, albeit only able to function in a limited amount of countries at this time. Whether you’re driving, or the ghost in the machine, the vehicle benefits from a very slippery design, with a smooth underfloor, active air vents, air curtains and surfaces. The i7 further features adaptive ‘braking for energy’ recuperation. Highly efficient, just don’t bore your house guests trying to explain it all. Just remember these key stats instead. The i7 produces 300kW and 745Nm, can zip to 100kph in 4.7 seconds before topping out at 250kph, and you can get 592km of mileage out of a full charge. Then show them the giant TV, and you’re sorted. Jokes aside, the BMW 7 Series in both petrol and EV trim remain drivers’ cars. I enjoyed lounging in the back, but it’s my time at the helm I remember most. Flavourfeel steering, great wells of torque and a suspension that enjoys being twisted around the coastal roads., it’s all here.
More about BMW I Vision Dee Concept
BMW has always been known for pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the automotive industry, and the company’s latest concept car is no exception. Yes, it represents a greener, more sustainable electric future. But it also hints at more elegant styling to come, perhaps first in the next 3 Series? If so, it would be a great return to form. But, crucially, Dee boasts OS 9 and with it a level of augmentation usually reserved for our imagination and science fiction. At its recent unveiling in Las Vegas at the CES expo, we experienced life inside and got to witness the future of the human-car interface. But more on that later.
