First driving test BMW i7 – this is how the new electric 7 Series drives

The best car in the world? Insofar as it exists – after all, it just depends on what kind of car you are looking for – it was always the S-class from Mercedes-Benz, the frantic attempts that BMW since 1977 with the 7 series and Audi since 1994 with the A8 undertakes to dethrone the king in spite of it. Now BMW has renewed the 7-series, with the manufacturer pulling out all the stops. Have the cards been reshuffled? The new 7 Series will be available with combustion engines, more precisely a six-cylinder in-line engine and a V8, as a plug-in hybrid and as a fully electric i7. So at BMW they let all drive variants come together on one platform. We immediately mention that the version with only a combustion engine for the Netherlands only concerns the six-cylinder diesel (740d).

Design 7 series is causing a stir

The design has already caused quite a stir, but judge for yourself. The design was determined on the one hand by the generous size of the car, which is 5.39 meters long and 1.95 meters wide. And on the other hand, we don’t have to be secretive about that, by the major markets. These are China, where 45 percent of the 7-series goes, Japan and Korea (26 percent) and the United States (20 percent). The European countries are just about the remaining crumbs, with a percentage of only 9 percent. So it is not surprising that the design preferences of people in faraway places are more important than ours, and in those countries they like to show how much money they have. Let’s just say that the new BMW 7 series is an impressive appearance in any case. We can reassure you a bit, because live it definitely looks more harmonious and less gaudy than in photos. But still, understated is different.

The optional mega screen in the rear of the BMW 7 Series.

31.3 inch touchscreen as an option in the rear

In the BMW it’s a big show, in the literal sense of the word. An important part is an (optional) 31.3-inch touchscreen with 8K resolution in the rear compartment, which is hidden in the headliner and folds out when you need it. When the display comes down with a soft buzz, it certainly does not go unnoticed, because BMW has put together a whole spectacle around it. The shades close, the ambient lighting dims and you hear a melody composed under the direction of Hollywood composer and Oscar winner Hans Zimmer. The system displays Amazon Fire content, videos, games, music, apps and TV shows. It sounds best with the Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system, which is available as an option. Another option is the Executive Lounge, with an extendable reclining seat in the rear right.

i7 Curved Display

In the front it is a little less decadent, but certainly luxurious. There is enough space available, the seats are very comfortable, the materials and the finish are refined and high-quality. The i7 also has the Curved Display. It looks impressive, but for purists it may be a bit too much of a good thing graphically. This also applies to the menus in the touchscreen, with an almost infinite number of functions. You can get pretty lost in it, but the iDrive controller on the center console serves as a rescue anchor. The smart voice control is also always at your side.

xDrive60

The i7 xDrive60, which is available from market launch and which we also drove, is powered by an electric motor at the front with 258 hp and one at the rear with 313 hp; the system power is 544 hp. The battery has a (net) capacity of 101.7 kWh, the range is up to 625 kilometers (WLTP) according to BMW. You can charge with a maximum of 22 kW AC and 195 kW DC; it then takes 34 minutes to charge the battery from 10 to 80 percent. The accelerator pedal responds sensitively, the steering is easy to dose and the recuperation works fine.

Amazingly light-footed

The 7 gets standard air suspension, adaptive shock absorbers and four-wheel steering. The test car also had the options of roll-over stabilization and 21-inch wheels. The i7 performs excellently, you can drive it quietly and very quickly. It accelerates with emphasis and with the ease and power we know from powerfully motorized electric cars. It drives very confidently and, thanks to a mass of no less than 2.7 tonnes, lies like a block on the road. Still, we can call it amazingly light-footed and dynamic, although quiet cruising probably best suits the character of its powertrain, also given the supple suspension and overall excellent suspension comfort. The generous amount of cameras, ultrasonic and radar sensors makes an impressive amount of assistance systems possible. The cheapest option to drive a 7-series is the 750e plug-in hybrid with a starting price of €124,207. The i7 is available in our country from €141,809, while the 740d comes to €130,979. Do you get the best car in the world for that amount of money? It just might.