BMW has published a set of teaser photos for the upcoming i7, while confirming its official debut for April. The fully electric luxury sedan will be unveiled together with the entire range of the next-generation 7-Series as its most powerful version.
Starting with the design, we have to address the elephant in the room which is the illuminated grille that covers a large portion of the front bumper and doesn’t seem to be fully covered as we would expect from an EV. The kidney grille – similar to the XM – is flanked by thin crystal glass LEDs and a second pair of lighting units underneath them, confirming the split-headlight design seen on the camouflaged prototypes. We can also see a large lower intake and thin side inlets.
BMW describes the i7 as “the world’s first all-electric luxury sedan” which is technically correct since its biggest rival, the Mercedes-Benz EQS comes with a rear hatch.
Besides the exterior shots we get a glimpse inside the cabin. The big news is the BMW Theatre Screen, an ultra-wide 31-inch screen (32:9 format) for the rear passengers that moves out of the roofliner, creating a private cinema lounge for entertainment on the go. This is a different approach from the 56-inch Hyperscreen found on the dashboard of the rival Mercedes-Benz EQS, with BMW focusing more on the rear passengers. The BMW Theatre Screen is not only reserved for the i7, since the automaker confirmed it will be fitted in its “new top-of-the-range models”.
Other interior highlights include the BMW Curved Display on the dashboard with the latest generation of the iDrive infotainment, and the BMW Interaction Bar. The latter is “a new type of light and function strip” on the instrument panel and doors which provides “a visual and haptic quality”. The i7 will also be equipped with a Sky Lounge panoramic glass roof with LED light threads and it will be interesting to see how this will be combined with the BMW Theater Screen. Last but not least, the driver will have access to the new “My Modes” feature which gives access to different driving modes while changing the interior ambience accordingly.
The Bavarian automaker was coy on details regarding the electric powertrain, but revealed the estimated range and power consumption of the i7. The sedan will offer a range between 580-610 km (360-379 miles) according to WLTP, and up to 305 miles (491 km) according to EPA estimates. The combined WLTP power consumption will be between 19.7 – 18.9 kWh/100 km which is lower than previous estimates announced during development (22.5-19.5 kWh/100 km).
The announcement was made by Frank Weber, board member of BMW AG, during the BMW Group Annual Conference, who confirmed that the i7 will be the powerful BMW 7 Series, adding that “it combines the best driving experience with the ultimate digital experience.” According to the latest reports, the BMW i7 will feature a 120 kWh battery, while the high-performance variant is rumored to feature a tri-motor setup producing a combined 740 hp (552 kW / 750 PS).
We expect more teasers of the BMW i7 to follow before its official debut in the coming weeks. According to Autocar, the premiere of the i7 and the 7-Series will take place on April 20.
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Keyword: 2023 BMW i7 Shows Its Massive Grille, Debuts In April With 305-Mile Electric Range