"The electric-only BMW i7 uses the same platform and body as the plug-in hybrid 7 Series, but without all the usual practicality and efficiency compromises"
- Range, charging & running costs
- Electric motor, drive & performance
- Interior & comfort
- Practicality & boot space
- Reliability & safety
Pros
- Spacious back seats
- Long range
- Tech-filled cabin
Cons
- Expensive
- Some tech is a bit of a gimmick
- Electric or PHEV only
The BMW 7 Series has been the German brand’s flagship limousine for over four decades. Previously available with a range of petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains, the luxury car is going electric for its seventh generation: the i7 will sit alongside a pair of PHEV versions in the UK.
Designed not only to offer the pinnacle of luxury for the BMW brand, it’s also the testbed for plenty of new technology – not least the optional 31-inch 8K Theatre Screen that folds down from the roof, allowing rear-seat passengers access to streaming services and Internet connectivity on the move. Is a party piece, for sure, but we’d save the cash and mount a large iPad to the passenger seat instead.
Elsewhere, the BMW i7 offers one of the largest batteries of any new car on sale, returning an official range of between 367 and 388 miles depending on specification and wheel size. We saw a comfortable 300 miles between charging stops, which should be more than enough even for long-distance drivers. Charging itself should be easy too, with a peak charge speed of 195kW, a 10-80% top-up takes just 34 minutes.
But BMW has always pitched the 7 Series as the luxury limo for those who like to drive as well as be driven, and the latest model is not only fast and refined, but fun and responsive too. For something that weighs 2.7 tonnes, the i7 is remarkably agile – thanks largely to all the clever technology lurking beneath the metal. It’s super comfortable too; it’s quiet at motorway speeds, and the luxurious seats and plush suspension make for a compliant ride.
And yet, as you might expect, all of this comes at a price. The 7 Series starts at just over £100,000, with the all-electric i7 commanding a small premium over the plug-in hybrid 750e. Equipment levels are pretty generous, with a widescreen infotainment system, big alloy wheels and adaptive LED lights all fitted as standard. M Sport cars look more dynamic, and add other performance-enhancing features like bigger brakes to the kit list.
The biggest reason to choose an i7 over a Mercedes EQS, however, is practicality. We don’t mean in the conventional sense – few buyers are going to be sticking buggies in the boot, or stashing cheese sandwiches in the glovebox, after all. But if you plan on spending time in the back seats, as many buyers will, then the BMW is by far the better choice.
Mercedes has prioritised aerodynamics; the EQS’s slippery shape does the rear quarters no favours, reducing headroom and restricting comfort in the back. The BMW’s roofline, on the other hand, stays tall, and the result is a much more spacious cabin. You can even push the i7’s front passenger seat right forward, should you wish to stretch out business class-style.
Range, charging & running costs
Thanks to its huge battery, the BMW i7 should comfortably do more than 300 miles on a charge
The BMW i7 has one of the biggest batteries of any car on sale. At 101.7kWh, it’s large enough for a claimed 367-388 miles depending on spec, giving it one of the longest ranges, too. During our first drive of a fully-loaded i7 xDrive60 Excellence, we were seeing around 3.0 miles per kWh, which would translate to a real-world range of just over 300 miles – or more if you took things gently.
And yet despite BMW throwing all its latest technology at the i7, it doesn’t get the 800-volt charging kit you’ll find on a Porsche Taycan or Audi e-tron GT. BMW says it doesn’t need it, claiming the i7 can maintain its 195kW peak charging speeds for longer. Find a fast enough public charge point and the batteries can go from 10-80% in 34 minutes.
BMW doesn’t quote charging times for a common 7kW home wallbox, probably because that huge battery would mean a top-up time of around 14 hours. While that might sound like an awfully long time, unless you’re running the car’s batteries right down to empty, it should be easily achievable overnight. The i7 comes with a 22kW on-board AC charger, though, which slashes the charge time to just 5.5 hours if you have a powerful-enough home or work charger.
Electric motor, drive & performance
The BMW i7 is a car designed to be enjoyed from the back seats, but regardless, performance and handling are strong
BMW has long billed the 7 Series as the executive limo for those who prefer to drive than be driven, and that motto hasn’t changed in the switch to electric. Despite using a hybrid platform designed to support electric and PHEV powertrains, as well as petrol and diesel for other global markets, the i7 handles surprisingly well.
There is, of course, plenty of trick technology at play. There’s four-wheel steering, which not only reduces the i7’s turning circle at slow speeds, but makes the car more stable on the motorway as well. You can option the Executive Drive Suspension setup (£3,500) too, which BMW says will “actively adjust the body height on the corresponding side of the vehicle”. It keeps the car incredibly flat, but feels a bit unnerving at first – it’s arguably of greater benefit to those in the back; it removes a level of engagement that might otherwise be a given.
The i7, however you drive it, feels remarkably agile for a car of this size and weight. The steering is light for the most part, but it’s direct and has no trouble manoeuvring the car with pinpoint accuracy. The flagship BMW rides beautifully as well, though we’ll caveat that with the fact we need to try one in the UK to make doubly sure it’ll cope with our unique road structure.
Performance is fantastic. With 537bhp, the i7 will do 0-62mph in just 4.7 seconds – though the usual instant electric power makes it feel even quicker. It picks up pace at speed, too; plant your right foot at 70mph and you’ll be past three figures before you know it.
The regenerative brakes are good. It’s an adaptive system that works really well, with the option for one-pedal driving should that suit your driving style. This means you can drive the i7 most of the time using only the accelerator pedal. Lift off with enough space to spare and the car will come to a complete stop.
One thing you’ll either love or hate about the i7, is the noise it makes. Of course it can’t compare to the old V8 models for aural engagement, but BMW has worked with film score composer Hans Zimmer to come up with a new selection of sounds for its electric cars. We quite like the way the almost spaceship-like sound crescendos as you gain speed, but if you prefer a quieter ride, you can turn it all off.
Interior & comfort
Finished in some of the most luxurious materials, BMW has cut few corners when it comes to interior quality
This is where the BMW 7 Series truly excels. Whether you’re sitting up front or in the back, it’s impossible to see where the maker has cut any corners whatsoever. The materials used are the best of the best, and the seats are super comfortable. Some of the technology could be considered a bit gimmicky, but we’ll leave you to decide whether it’s worth the hefty price.
The front seats are beautifully contoured, and support you in all the right places. There is plenty of adjustment, too, meaning you’re sure to find a driving position that suits. Ahead of the driver sits BMW’s latest curved infotainment panel, comprising a media screen and a set of customisable digital instruments. It all runs the latest iDrive 8 software, and while it’s far more complex than the system it replaces, the more we use it, the more intuitive it becomes.
Storage is good – a given on a car of this size – with a deep bin between the front seats, big cupholders and a selection of cubbies. Visibility is pretty impressive on the whole, though not with the 31-inch Theatre Screen in place. More on that in a moment…
As is true up front, there are plenty of toys in the back. Every car gets four-zone climate control, and there are small touch-sensitive remote controls built into the doors – allowing occupants access to things like the window blinds and media input. We’d prefer it if they were removable; being fixed to the doors doesn’t make them all that easy to operate, and they certainly aren’t as responsive as the main screen in the front.
Those panels in the door also give you control of that huge optional Theatre Screen. Folding down from the roof, you can stream all of your favourite shows on the move – whether that’s via Netflix, Amazon, or anything else. Naturally, we used it to play the latest Carbuyer review videos on YouTube – all in 8K resolution.
It all works in conjunction with the Bowers & Wilkins stereo, which adds ‘exciters’ to the seats – allowing for a truly immersive almost cinema-like experience. Trouble is, it all feels a little close-set; we’d love the opportunity to push the screen just a little further towards the driver, but alas, even with the wheelbase of an i7, you’re restricted by the car’s interior dimensions.
Practicality & boot space
The BMW i7 takes the Mercedes EQS to the cleaners when it comes to rear-seat space; there is loads of room to stretch out
Rear-seat comfort is almost unrivalled anywhere in the luxury car segment. Sure, there’s more room in a Rolls-Royce Phantom, and a Mercedes EQS SUV offers similar head and leg space thanks to its gargantuan dimensions. But the i7, largely due to its conventional saloon shape and tall roofline, feels very roomy indeed. The EQS saloon can’t match the BMW for rear-seat space, certainly. That car’s sloping roofline might help aerodynamics, but it does nothing for those sitting in the back.
You can fold the i7’s passenger seat all the way forward using the touch-sensitive controllers in the rear doors, and if you tick the right option boxes, you can recline the rear seats right back for maximum relaxation. The side and rear-window blinds are another option that protect the interior from prying eyes – operated electrically, of course.
All cars get an automatic bootlid as standard, with the i7 boasting a decent 500-litre load bay. That’s a good size, and only 40 litres down on the six and eight-cylinder petrol models that won’t be sold in the UK. The space is deep and wide, and while it’s not as easy to access as the Mercedes EQS Saloon’s hatch-style space, it should be big enough for suitcases and shopping.
Reliability & safety
BMW has a middling reputation for reliability, but the i7 should be one of the safest cars on sale
It’s fair to say that BMW owners expect a certain level of service – over and above what you might get from a mainstream manufacturer. This is reflected in our annual Driver Power survey, with BMW drivers complaining about value for money in particular. A number of decidedly average scores in other areas – fuel economy and running costs, as well as reliability and build quality, for example – meant the maker finished mid-table (16th) in our manufacturer run-down.
A total of six BMWs featured in our list of the best cars to own, with only Audi and Kia boasting more models in the top 75. Of course, the new 7 Series and all-electric i7 are too new to appear, though buyers should seek comfort in the fact that while there’s an awful lot of complex parts inside BMW’s new flagship, a lot of the screen and interior tech is lifted from cars like the iX and i4, so we’d hope it might prove reliable in the long-term.
Safety is a given, however, with the i7 boasting more driver assistance systems than you can shake a stick at. There’s Active Cruise Control with a Stop&Go function, plus a Steering and Lane Control Assistant. In addition, all models get Automatic Speed Limit Assist, a route monitoring function, and traffic light recognition. The BMW i7 could, if the laws allowed, drive itself in many situations.
There is no Euro NCAP data for the i7, nor is it likely to be tested due to the fact it will sell in relatively small numbers versus the equivalent 3 or 5 Series. But BMW has a strong reputation in this respect, so we’d expect a full set of five-star scores right across the board.
Keyword: BMW i7 saloon review