BMW’s first electric 7 Series is wrapped in luxury
The new 7 Series is a major overhaul. i7 buyers can have their big kidney grilles lighted up.
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In April, BMW announced the 2023 edition of its flagship 7 Series sedan, and it includes the 740i (US$94,895), 760i xDrive (US$114,595) and electric i7 xDrive60 (US$120,295). ).
It’s the third in a series of recent electric vehicle introductions, following the iX SUV and the smaller i4. The all-wheel-drive BMW i7 xDrive60 boasts impressive numbers: 536 horsepower and 549 pound-feet of torque from two electric motors. The battery is massive, 101.7 kilowatt-hours, and it can give this heavy (7,165-pound) car up to 300 miles of range and an electronically governed 149 miles per hour. The dash from zero to 60 takes 4.5 seconds. Pre-orders are underway, requiring a deposit of US$1,500, and the car will be in dealerships by November.
According to a BMW spokesperson, “The BMW i7 is uncompromising, and we expect it to appeal to the same customers who are already drawn to the BMW 7 Series. Specifically, the new BMW 7 Series range focuses on the individual and innovations that directly improve the user experience.
The 7 Series, including the i7, has increased by 5.1 inches in length, and there are gains in rear seat comfort, interior headroom and luggage capacity.
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BMW declined to offer a “turnout rate” – the percentage of 7 Series sales – for electric as part of 7 Series sales. “We prefer not to speculate or make predictions,” said the spokesperson.
The 7 Series (like Mercedes’ S-Class) has always been a technological marvel, and there’s some extra-cool stuff about the i7. Not content with standard regenerative braking, the BMW has ‘adaptive recuperation’, meaning it interacts with the navigation system and can increase the level of energy captured when approaching an intersection.
There are three regeneration parameters. A more rounded charging curve is also on board to produce shorter standby times. Batteries are killed by heat, and the i7 protects its pack through the use of a cooling process during high-temperature fast charges.
Custom load settings can be stored. Fast charging, an out-of-home experience, adds 80 miles in 10 minutes. A quick charge from 10% to 80% takes 34 minutes. But for level two 240-volt home charging, allow time. The BMW spokesperson said it will go from zero to 100% charged in 10.5 hours. But most of the time the battery won’t be fully discharged, so the times will be less than that.
The curved screen puts two screens behind a piece of glass.
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And the navigation system constantly monitors your state of charge, optimizing the route to your destination. The i7 xDrive 60 will get three years of free charging at Electrify America stations across the US
The new i7 will also have most of the features of the other seventh-generation 7-series cars, including all-new styling with the ‘big grille’ (in this case optionally illuminated) that will hopefully grow in BMW owners. . The grille is centered between the squinting-eye adaptive LED headlights. BMW says the individual two-tone paint schemes it offers on the 7 are its first on mass-produced cars.
The side view reveals it’s a substantial car, and at 17.6 feet is 5.1 inches longer than the model it replaces. There are gains in rear seat comfort, interior headroom and luggage capacity (now 17.7 cubic feet).
The curved screen was introduced on the iX SUV and comprises two screens: a 12.3-inch screen for the driver behind the wheel and a 14.9-inch screen for the controls, both sharing an angled freestanding glass surface towards the driver. .
Some functions have moved to the screen, so there are fewer buttons and switches. Instead, the BMW Interaction Bar offers touch-sensitive control panels for ventilation and air conditioning. The “Sky Lounge” panoramic sunroof incorporates LED-backlit light nets for an aerial spectacle.
Buyers of luxury BMWs are used to active ventilation and massage functions in the front seats, and this is also available for the rear seats. Choose the Executive Lounge option and you’ll feel like you’re traveling in first class: the seat reclines up to 42.5 degrees and an integrated legrest extends. Rear passengers can enjoy a 31.3-inch movie screen with Bowers & Wilkins audio and Amazon Fire TV.