It’s been seven years since BMW car The 7 Series was last redesigned, and in 2023 we’ll have a brand new seventh generation. If you believe in lucky numbers, this bodes well for the BMW locomotive luxury sedan, but there’s even bigger news. Along with the all-new 7 Series, we also get a i7 difference.
The 2023 BMW i7 will go on sale in late 2022, with prices starting at $120,295 (including $995 destinations). On a single charge, EPA estimated it could move from 296 to 318 miles depending on wheel selection (greater equals less), but we wouldn’t be surprised if it exceeded its official figures in real-world driving. A lithium-ion the battery The 101.7-kWh manual package powers the motors on the front and rear axles for all-wheel drive. Combined, they make 536 horsepower and 549 pound-feet of torque. Up to 605 lb-ft of torque can be momentarily summoned in acceleration mode by tapping the left paddle of the steering wheel.
The i7 is a car capable of fast DC charging at 195 kilowatts, which BMW estimates will replenish the battery from 10% to 80% in 34 minutes. As an added incentive, owners can enjoy three years of free unlimited charging on the Electrify America network. On more typical 22 kW level 2 chargers, a full charge from empty will take 5.5 hours. By comparison, Mercedes-Benz EQS has an estimated EPA range of 340 or 350 miles depending on the model and will charge from 10-80% in 31 minutes.
From the outside, there’s little to distinguish the electric i7 from its gas-powered 7 Series sibling. That can be good or bad, depending on your preferences and what angle you’re looking at. Up front is a large version of BMW’s signature kidney grille. It’s flanked by narrow LEDs that you’d expect to be headlights. Instead, they are placed and tucked underneath, and incorporate a vertical air intake at the corners that directs air around the front wheels.
Shoppers can choose between two aesthetic themes. The luxury option (above left) has a grille with chrome accents and the body-colored front fascia while the M Sport (above right) has black styling for the grille and surrounding bodywork. . We’re still struggling with the look and feel of the user interface but after a few days getting used to the i7 it’s not as jarring as it once was. For an extra $12,000, you can choose from a two-tone red-black or silver-and-gray paint scheme like the Maybach.
The i7’s configuration is less polarizing and retains all the character of the 7 Series with its long hood and equally short rear deck. However, the recessed black plastic door handles look dated – why aren’t they the same color as the body? The rear end is more gracefully designed than the front, with more traditional styling and distinctive horizontal taillights.
The i7 and 7 series are only sold as long-wheelbase sedans and are on the road. For those who are confused by the front end styling, we recommend that you spend some time experimenting with BMW’s online configurator to see if there is a combination of themes and color that can help them win. Aside from style and aesthetics, the i7 presents a range of commendable and commendable results.
The i7 offers electrically operated doors that can be opened with the simple touch of a button, but many sensors won’t allow that unless you’re intentionally getting to the back of the door. If you get too close, it will only partially pop out until you step to the back. More often than not, the typical placement at the door leads to frustration and resorting to pulling the door against opening. A small button on the edge of the panel closes without such problems, but we recommend ignoring this option. Like gesture control, it seems like a feature to impress friends when first getting the car, but will be rarely used in the end.
Once inside, front passengers will enjoy a stylish and modern interior. The dashboard is minimalist with a long, curved glass panel surrounding the digital instrument cluster and central infotainment touchscreen. A crystal-like trim conceals the ventilation holes and illuminates the cabin with mood lighting. The small rubber dial underneath controls ventilation direction and distributes air evenly and efficiently.
You may want to avoid the ball carbon fiber (lower right) or Mirror Oak dash trims as they tend to reflect harsh sunlight which is annoying. There’s also glare off the piano black center console and crystal infotainment dial but sadly no alternative materials were offered. The leather seats are both comfortable and attractive, but we were intrigued by the light gray cashmere option available (below left) for certain color combinations.
With just a touch of the start/stop button, the full-size luxury sedan comes to life and a jolt of the gear selector switch gets you done. A single pull puts you in normal driving mode, while a double pull selects a “B” mode that allows the EV to be driven with one pedal. Otherwise, the i7 is free with a small drop in speed in normal drive settings.
Immediate and competent acceleration. BMW says it will hit 60 mph in 4.5 seconds on the way to a top speed of 149 km/h. As is the case with most EVs, the i7 picks up speed with eerie silence but if you select Sport mode, a futuristic noise will be channeled through the speakers. The sound was designed by Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer and adds a lovely amount of theater to the driving experience.
Driving mode “B” slows the i7 to a graceful stop and is easy to adjust in all conditions. On a winding road, the suspension can cut through bends with just the right amount of body roll. It feels sportier than you’d expect from a 5,917-pound sedan but doesn’t encourage a sporty driving feel. Sport mode upgrades the adaptive air suspension for sharper handling and makes the steering wheel significantly more responsive to increased wheel effort. Rear-wheel steering also makes the i7 more nimble than its size suggests and makes lane changes more graceful.
Overall, it’s gratifying that the i7 delivers the driving experience expected from the BMW 7 Series. Drivers with prior experience with an EV or 7 Series will find its driving dynamics consistent and enjoyable. Sadly, there are some confusing and annoying technological aspects that spoil the experience.
As we wrote before, the latest version of BMW iDrive leaves much to be desired. At a very basic level, it is very easy to use. The home screen is configurable and has shortcuts for apps, music, and navigation. There are also temperature controls and a climate control shortcut at the bottom of the screen. However, things will get complicated in the future.
There seem to be loads of settings deep in the menus that can be distracting and hard to navigate. For something as simple as adjusting the following distance for adaptive cruise control, you’ll need to search through layers of menus. Voice control has improved a lot but that method takes longer to affect a change and also interrupts whatever you’re listening to. We realize that many owners will only need to adjust some settings once in the first place, but we find the overly complicated system layout a step back from the previously commendable iDrive system.
We’re also not fans of the extra controls on the center console. The capacitive touch buttons require an intentional press, which prevents accidental triggering, but the buttons are small and the tactile bump doesn’t really help enough to enable eyeless operation. In most cases, you will need to take your eyes off the road to use them until you are familiar with the layout.
As a premium luxury sedan with a long wheelbase, the i7’s rear passenger space offers plenty of luxury and technology upgrades with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. The available Rear Executive Lounge Seat package adds extra reclining passenger seats for a business class experience. The seat’s ventilation and massage function really makes it better than business class, but it takes quite a while for that seat to adjust and move the front seat out of place.
A small touchscreen in the rear door controls everything from music, interior space mode, seat functions, climate and sun visors. Oddly enough, without any navigation tools, it seems like a step of confusion if you want to choose a destination for the driver. The huge new 31.3-inch Theater screen has stunning visuals, and selecting Theater mode automatically closes the sunroof and windows, and rotates the large screen from the roof.
The screen has touch functions, but is inconsistent across apps. For example, when watching YouTube, you can’t just tap the title tag to start playing. Instead, you need to use a control overlay that mimics the directional buttons and selects from the handheld remote. The screen’s central position also means you’ll need to slightly lower your head to see it, and after a while, this can cause uncomfortable neck strain. As novel and impactful as the big screen, the traditional separate screen is preferred. Thankfully, there are attachment points for personal tablets with a convenient power port on the back of the chair.
Best of all, the rear window shade is as opaque as a Las Vegas hotel blackout curtain. That’s obviously to avoid distracting other motorists on the road, but it also effectively eliminates the driver’s rear view. That just raises some safety concerns, especially since camera-based virtual rearview mirrors are confusingly not provided.
Not all tech features are so polarizing. The i7’s advanced safety features and driver support are well executed. The large overhead display provides distraction-free information to the driver, and augmented reality navigation directions in the instrument panel guide you clearly through unfamiliar areas. The highway driving assistant is done especially well, as it eases much of the responsibility on the driver. It keeps the vehicle centered in its lane and maintains a consistent distance from the vehicles ahead. However, you will have to keep an eye on the road.
From a practical standpoint, the i7’s 11.4 cubic foot trunk capacity may seem small on paper but in reality it’s quite large and accommodating. The Mercedes The EQS’ hatchback design can hold almost twice that, but you’ll have to pile your luggage on the ceiling. In fact, it is comparable to the i7. The Lucid Air also has a large trunk and further benefits from a car, unlike BMW and Benz.
When compared to its competitors in general, BMW i7 appear in short range for EQS and Lucid, but there’s still more than enough for the average driver. You’ll get a bit more rear passenger space, but the EQS and Air was too full. The EQS and i7 are similar in price and feature content but have radically different approaches to design and style. Plus, the EQS doesn’t offer a reclining executive seat like the BMW or Lucid. Meanwhile, Lucid Air’s price drops by tens of thousands of dollars, but it’s also from a startup and can withstand some improvements to brake, handle, and match and finish. And yes, yes Tesla Model WILL in this price range, but it as another car it created for comparison is not perfect.
Overall, the BMW i7 2023 offers a great driving experience and a very high level of comfort – especially if you opt for the Executive Lounge Seat – but a lot of its tech features don’t have to be complicated. That can be especially problematic considering that BMW has gone the more traditional route with the i7 than its more futuristic rivals. If you’re looking for a more traditional luxury sedan experience from an EV, that’s why you might also prefer more traditional controls. In any case, each of these superb luxury EVs has its own set of characteristics and drawbacks – it’s a good idea to test drive them all to find out which might work best for your particular needs and tastes. your body.
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