From the June 2023 problem of Automobile and Driver.

Given BMW’s trajectory, it is solely logical that the model’s newest flagship is a three-ton behemoth with a movie-theater display screen and a hands-free driving mode. However we’re not wringing our palms over this couchification, as a result of a 7-series would not declare to be a sports activities sedan. Plus, if you’d like a sporty BMW, you’ll be able to nonetheless get an M2. The 7-series is the Bavarians’ Mercedes S-class fighter, and it has usually struggled to seek out footing in opposition to its rival, which has come to outline the time period “flagship sedan.” Might battery propulsion provide the chance to show the tide?

The 2 automakers’ divergent approaches to EVs have already shifted conventional roles. Mercedes, usually sober and conservative, has gone all science fiction with its stand-alone EQ blob-shaped electrical fashions. BMW, in the meantime, after retiring the carbon-fiber-intensive i3 and i8, seems to be transferring away from the technique of giving EVs devoted platforms. So, the battery-powered i7 shares its physique, underpinnings, and platform with the latest-generation gas-powered 7-series.

Whereas the spaceship-like Mercedes EQS hatchback by no means stops reminding you that you simply’re motoring on electrons, the i7’s typical three-box sedan form is innocuously acquainted. That is to not say inconspicuous. The blunt entrance finish incorporates sufficient discordant styling parts to make the outdated Bangle-designed 7-series look ^{conservative. Weird break up headlights and an enormous kidney grille mix with a slab-sided profile and slim taillights for a less-than-cohesive look. Nonetheless, our check automotive garnered plenty of seems to be, particularly in its non-compulsory $5000 matte grey paint, and you may’t deny the i7’s Rolls-Royce-caliber presence.}

It is sized like a Rolls too. This 7-series is significantly bigger than earlier than, with an total size of 212.2 inches exceeding each the S-class and the EQS by a number of inches. Enjoyable truth: The brand new 7 is the very same peak because the first-generation BMW X1 SUV. The 101.7-kWh battery pack beneath the ground contributes to a good portion of the i7’s prodigious 6067-pound weight. A 650-hp M70 is coming quickly, however for now, the only real mannequin is the xDrive60, during which a 255-hp entrance motor and a 308-hp rear motor mix for 536 peak horsepower.

For a automotive like this, an electrical powertrain makes lots of sense as a result of it is ultrasmooth and supremely quiet. The i7’s is very so, offering a powerful, seamless shove because it pushes the sedan to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. We measured a tomblike 60 decibels at a 70-mph cruise. The equal Mercedes, the 516-hp EQS580, was faster, with a 3.7-second run to 60 mph, little doubt aided by its 261-pound weight benefit.

And but, the i7 hides its heft effectively, furthering our suspicion that BMW has reassigned its greatest chassis engineers to work on EVs. Composed and imperturbable, the i7 wafts alongside with out floating. It evokes confidence when pointed straight forward, however the steering lacks really feel once you change path. Wheel management is spectacular, physique motions are effectively damped, and experience high quality is impeccable. Using on Pirelli P Zero PZ4 summer season tires and non-compulsory 21-inch wheels, the i7 additionally outperformed the EQS at our monitor by vital margins, with a powerful skidpad results of 0.93 g and a brief (for 3 tons) 70-mph stopping distance of 159 toes.

We did not use the brake pedal a lot on the road, although, opting as an alternative to shift into B, which allows one-pedal driving. The extent of regen in D can be configurable, and there are quite a few driving modes that modify the air springs, adaptive dampers, and accelerator response. Some modes even mechanically activate the massaging seats, open or shut the sunroof shade, and alter the inside shows and ambient lighting.

BMW needs the i7’s cabin to supply an immersive expertise, and it is nearly too profitable. Theater mode deploys the 31.3-inch display screen for the rear seat and raises the rear-window shades to create a cocoon for watching Netflix. Sadly for the motive force, the display screen obscures the rearview mirror completely, and there is no digital-camera mirror accessible that will help you see what’s behind you. The $7250 Rear Govt Lounge Seating package deal features a reclining passenger’s-side rear seat with an ottoman operate that shoves the seat in entrance of all of it the best way ahead to function a footrest. A warning pops up within the central show, prompting the motive force to make sure that the seat is just not blocking the view of the side-view mirror, however it’s not instantly clear what to do to treatment the state of affairs.

After all, there are numerous cameras and sensors to see for you, and the i7 is able to hands-free driving on the freeway beneath sure circumstances. The system works effectively, though the automotive often wanders within the lane.

However you will not be utilizing hands-free for too many miles at a time. We measured a 75-mph real-world vary of 260 miles in opposition to an EPA estimate of 308 miles. That is considerably in need of the EQS’s 350-mile lead to the identical check; credit score the Benz’s ultraslippery 0.20 drag coefficient and bigger battery pack. However there’s usually a give-and-take with EVs, and BMW becoming summer season tires exhibits it is prepared to take a variety hit for the dynamic enhance that extra aggressive rubber supplies.

The i7’s pricing is formidable, beginning at $120,295. Entry to the EQS is significantly much less, with the bottom 329-hp, rear-wheel-drive EQS450+ opening at $105,550, whereas the extra comparable EQS580 begins at $127,100. Our generously geared up i7 check automotive stickered for $156,595—effectively into AMG EQS territory—and it felt price each penny. In what one would possibly interpret as an admission of its lesser status, the gas-powered 7-series remains to be cheaper than the S-class, however a have a look at the electrical matchup reveals the tables have turned.

Senior Editor

Regardless of being raised on a gentle weight-reduction plan of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or maybe due to it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive trade all through his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He discovered a technique to write about vehicles for the varsity newspaper throughout his faculty years at Rice College, which ultimately led him to maneuver to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first skilled auto-writing gig at Car Journal. He has been a part of the Automobile and Driver group since 2016 and now lives in New York Metropolis.