BMW i7

BMW India has launched the i7 flagship electric sedan in the country, priced at Rs. 1.95 crore (ex-showroom, India). The EV has gone on sale in India alongside the seventh-generation BMW 7 Series, and both models were introduced at the company’s music and automotive festival, JoyTown 2023, in Mumbai. Both cars made their global debut last year, in April 2022, and the internal combustion-engined version of the flagship sedan is priced from Rs. 1.70 crore (ex-showroom, India). The new BMW i7 will compete with the Mercedes-Benz EQS in the segment.

In terms of styling the BMW i7 looks identical to the ICE 7 Series, featuring sharper and slimmer two-element crystal LED headlights, and larger kidney grille illuminated surrounds. The long bonnet, with the more upright face and the sharper lines give the car a bold look. The i7 differentiates itself with blue accents while the 7 Series gets M Sport styling. BMW is offering a choice of wheel sizes on the "7" range from 20-inch alloys to 21-inch M Sport wheels, with darkened exterior accents.

The i7 comes with a cabin that too is very identical to the fossil fuel-powered 7 Series and features BMW’s Live Cockpit Plus with the all-new iDrive 8 user interfaces. The 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and the 14.9-inch infotainment screen have a curved display and are single continuous piece of glass. At the back, the big addition is the optional 31.3-inch 8K theatre screen display that can be added between the front two seats. Customers can have the "car theatre" experience on the move with a built-in Amazon Fire TV to provide access to online services. There are also two 5.5-inch tables mounted within the door panels that provide access to each passenger. Complementing the massive screen is the optional Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System. The seats are upholstered Merino leather while cashmere wool has also been used in the cabin.

On the tech front, the electric sedan is equipped with a Level 2 Plus hands-free driving system and comes with lane-centring technology and automatic lane-change functions as part of the advanced driver assistance systems. BMW has also expanded its Parking Assistant feature on the i7, which allows for advanced remote smartphone parking as well as reverse assist. The i7 also gets the option to automatically lower itself for improved aerodynamics. The car also gets adaptive steering for more precision driving, while the rear-wheel steering can turn up to 3.5 degrees.

The all-electric BMW i7 xDrive60 model comes with two electric motors drawing power from a 101.7 kWh battery pack. The motor belt out 536 bhp and 744 Nm with 0-100 kmph coming up in 4.5 seconds. BMW says i7 can travel up to 483 km (US EPA Driving Range) on a single charge and is compatible with a fast charger of up to 195 kW. The top speed on the i7 is electronically limited to 250 kmph.