First contact with the BMW i7: the luxury sedan reinvents itself as an electric car with an eye on the Asian market

This  BMW i7 xDrive60  has a 5.4 meter long wheelbase body. BMW has decided that its 7 Series  will now only be offered with this  long body, which allows the wheelbase to reach 3,215 millimeters (five millimeters longer than the long-wheelbase version of the previous model). In fact, all dimensions increase, since the length of the vehicle also increases by 130 millimeters, the width by 48 millimeters and the height by 51 millimeters.

At first glance, the  new design language  that the German brand will now apply to its luxury models stands out. The front face is marked by dual optics, grouped into two well-differentiated blocks.

They call it  Iconic Glow  , the lights have Swarowski crystals and, without a doubt, they follow the tastes and trends that are triumphing in the Asian market,  thus breaking  with tradition and the more serious and continuous style to which the German brand brings us had accustomed in its previous editions.

But it's not just these grouped and divided optics that mark the character of this car. With a size consistent with that of the car itself, the kidneys have plenty of prominence. These have a  profile illuminated  by LED lights, which will also be found on competition models such as the  BMW LMDh  which will compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans next year.

As you walk through it, you notice the  strength  of the whole, made up of very solid blocks that give an appearance of robustness like few cars can offer. BMW speaks of a monolithic design, and I think that's not a mistake.

For the rest, the door handles are  integrated  into the body, to improve the aerodynamic efficiency of the car and its doors have no window frames either at the front or at the rear.

Interior is better than your living room

On the outside, the BMW i7 may like it more or less, but what is certain is that when you see it inside, you will be left speechless. The first thing that catches the eye is the outline that runs around the edge of the cabin with its  backlit moldings  .

These can change color according to the tastes or moods of the passengers. In front of the cockpit, the 12.3-inch and 14.9-inch screens form what is called the  Curved Display  .

But it is undoubtedly in the rear seats that the i7 will be able to equip itself with the most striking and revolutionary element of all. We're talking about a 31-inch widescreen   , with 8K quality and a horizontal design that reaches down from the ceiling.

We are faced with a mega widescreen touchscreen in  32: 9 format  with 8K resolution, a Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system with integrated speakers in the headrests and optional subwoofers in the backrests.

It has a 5G internet connection and is touch sensitive, so you can choose with your finger how you want to scroll through the menus and select the  Amazon Fire TV  which is integrated, as well as a specific streaming offer for each country depending on which streaming TV models are more fashionable.

In the rear doors, two vertical screens are integrated from which different commands such as temperature, music and many options are managed in what seems to be the  control panel  for each passenger in these rear seats.

As a novelty, it has automatic opening and closing  of the  doors, either from the remote control or from inside the car. This way you don't have to stretch your arm when sitting inside, because the doors only follow commands.

Mechanics and battery

Mechanically, this super luxury sedan has a high-voltage battery with a usable capacity of  101.7 kWh  . Thanks to it, the range is estimated between 590 and 625 km.

It allows direct current charging up to 195 kW thanks to which it is possible to gain about 170 kilometers in just ten minutes.

For the rest, there are two electric motors, one in an axlebox, hence the xDrive surname, with a combined system output of 400 kW/  544 PS . A jack limits wheel spin, necessary when there is too much electrical power under the right foot.

Its figures are huge for such a big car: 0 to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 240 km/h.

Very thought out for Asia and its younger clientele

I've spent quite a bit of time looking and touching the interior and exterior of the BMW i7 xDrive 60, and after examining it in detail, one thing is clear. This is a car where Asian market interests have caused it to lose its classic, sleek style, in favor of those things that grab attention  in a TikTok video , but  it may not match  the tastes of the CEO of the multinational in which you work.

Maybe the exterior and interior light display is not out of place on the streets of Shanghai, but I would like to see it with the same eyes of distinction and elegance in central London, which has produced with previous generations of the 7 Series.

It may be a subjective matter, whether we're too used to these representation sedans being classic, analog clock hands, wood trim before LED lights and the like, but only time will tell if commitment to bring the 7 Series to a technologically advanced level has been successful. What's clear is that BMW wanted to take a fresh line with this car's approach.

In the meantime, the  BMW i7  xDrive60 like the one we saw in the presentation starts at  137,900 euros . The first units will hit the streets in December, just in time to match the Christmas lights that will be adoring the streets by then.