With high-performance coupes stealing the show at M Fest, BMWs flagship SUV and sedan waited quietly in a concealed room for VIP guests and prospective buyers to preview. We got up close and personal with the X7 and 7 Series ahead of their local launch.
Yes, M Fest is a spectacle to display some of the most technologically update models in the Bavarian automaker’s lineup but while our minds automatically associate this with high-performance and track-focused toys, there is an entire spectrum of premium products that BMW beholds in their lineup. This includes the X7 xDrive30d and 740i models which were also on display at the event but consumed less of the limelight that the M4 CSL and M2 were confidently soaking up.
Performance aside, both the X7 and 7 Series were portrayed in all of their grandeur, with subdued hues of grey shimmering in the illuminated display. With both facing forward to the doorway upon which I entered, the first thing that became apparent is their controversially styled front fascias. BMW has come under a lot of criticism for its design language and how it has been implemented on recent models but the split headlight design and enlarged kidney grilles provide an imposing statement on their flagship, which is arguably more crucial than simple, sculpted lines in the pursuit of pure beauty. Being BMWs flagship models, the exterior isn’t where the party is at despite the 7 Series pulsing crystal front DRLs and an LED shaped to the silhouette of the sizable grille. In fact, the closer you get to the model the more enticed you will be to extend your hand out to access the door handle to get a glimpse of the sumptuous interior. In the case of the 7 Series, which my eyes were drawn to at first, the aforementioned handles work a little bit differently, as do most other things you would expect from an opulent sedan built to rival Maybach badged models.
Automation reigns supreme, with buttons handling the mundane operations of opening and closing doors, privacy blinds and the full-width rear cinematic TV screen. Once this has been retracted and is within view of second-row passengers, all ancillary operations can be controlled by a phone-sized screen on each of the rear doors. Massage seats, ambient lighting and all of the luxuries you’d come to expect from BMWs flagship. The same is present in the front row of seats, with an array of gleaming materials within reach of the driver.
Once my awe was fulfilled, I made my way to the opposite end of the room to unlock the behemoth X7. Admittedly, this was a disappointment for the sole fact that he 7 Series had set the benchmark of BMWs flagship models os incredibly high. The price difference between the two is justification for its more subdued nature but considering it is expected to cost a little bit less than its low riding sibling which will set buyers back more than R2 million. It also becomes immediately apparent that the X7 is wholeheartedly centred around ferrying families and kids around with its three-row seat configuration.
Although this was a brief interaction with the posh Bavarians, it is immediately apparent that the models are breaching into the league of opulence and succeeding at doing so. As the interior wall states, “This is forwardism” for the Munich automaker.
Keyword: GALLERY: First impressions with BMWs flagship SUV and sedan