If you thought that electric vehicles (EVs) were all dinky little hatchbacks or something bordering on a supercar (you can probably guess which marques I’m thinking of), then you can have another think.  In some ways, the 2023 BMW i7 is harking back to the heyday of this German marque and its place at the top of the pinnacle of desirable luxury sedans, but it’s also very much a car of today, being fully electric.

In the looks department, the BMW i7 is a real head-turner.  I think it’s the updated version of the classic kidney grille (which, in an EV is more or less for looks, as electric motors don’t need to be cooled in the same way as internal combustion engines). This grille puts me in mind of the facets of a diamond, and this aesthetic is continued in some of the other exterior features.  This is no accident.  One of the things that BMW is very proud of is how they have partnered with the famous jeweller Swarovski, who have provided some of the crystals used in the LED headlights.  This isn’t just a car; it’s jewellery.  The fun doesn’t stop there, either.  When the headlights go on, the kidney grille lights up with tiny LEDs, giving it the ooh! factor.  Even the panoramic sunroof works with this jewel-themed design, as does the use of glass as a trim in the interior design and even the stitching on the Veganza (vegan faux leather) seats.

Swarovski isn’t the only big name that BMW has collaborated with in the design of the 2023 i7. they’ve also worked with Hans Zimmer to develop the sounds of the EV (which are required for pedestrian safety as well as for pleasure). If you haven’t heard of Hans Zimmer, he is a composer of movie soundtracks who’s composed for everything from Man of Steel to Gladiator to Kung Fu Panda 2 (and a number of other tracks that are great for driving and as background for creative work – I’m listening to a Hans Zimmer album right now). With BMW’s Iconic Sounds, you get a slightly different sound for each driving mode.

Another thing that the designers have had fun with is the “Grand Entrance” welcome feature.  Not only do the doors unlock automatically as you approach the vehicle with the key fob, the doors also open by themselves and you’re treated to the Welcome sound (composed by Zimmer and sounds like you’ve just walked into an elven palace).   

You could have plenty of fun just admiring the interior and exterior styling, and enjoying all the Iconic Sounds coming through the surround sound system – and maybe streaming something thanks to the full smartphone compatibility and the screen that can be viewed from the rear seat (I could make a joke here about back seats, Netflix and chill, but the BMW i7 is too classy).  However, the 2023 BMW i7 is a car, not a living room or a bedroom, and it’s designed to move.  What moves the BMW i7 is its fully electric motor, which comes coupled to the AWD drivetrain.  This unit delivers 135 kW of continuous power and the maximum torque available is a dazzling 745 Nm.  That’s just in the entry-level i7 xDrive60 sedan.  Take it up to the i7 M70 xDrive and the torque goes up to 1015 Nm (which you could call 1.015 kNm).  This means that going from a standstill to 100 km/h in the i7 M70 will take a blistering 3.7 seconds – something else that gives the BMW i7 the ooh! factor.  Even the xDrive60 manages to accelerate to 100 km/h a very, very respectable 4.7 seconds. This is probably why the range in the M70 xDrive is a touch less, although if you keep your BMW i7 for urban use, then you probably won’t notice the difference.

The charging time for the electric motor is 34 minutes with a DC charger (for charging from 10% to 80%) and 5.5 hours with an AC charger from 0% to full charge.  The BMW i7 comes with a Mode 3 and a Mode 2 charger. I’d strongly recommend getting the BMW Wallbox charging accessory, which will allow you to charge more easily and quickly at home.  The range under ideal conditions is over 600 km, but if you enjoy the acceleration, the sound system, the wireless phone charging and those beautiful crystal lights (which you will), your range will be less than this.  One tip for getting a bit more range out of your BMW i7 is to use the heated seats to keep warm on a chilly winter’s day rather than the four-zone automatic climate control system. However, the brakes, which are ABS brakes with EBD and brake assist, help to power the engine through regenerative braking.

Even the rear seats in the BMW i7 are luxurious – you can see that this vehicle has been designed with those who hire chauffeurs in mind – with one of the interior design features being the Executive Lounge aesthetic in the rear seats.  Touchscreens are available so that the passengers in the back can adjust the infotainment system. The dual-zone climate control system keeps things nicely comfortable, no matter what the weather is (but see the warning above about what using this does to battery range – something newbies to the world of EVs may forget).

The 2023 BMW i7 features driver aids aplenty, including cruise control, a heads-up display to complement the digital instrument panel, built-in navigation, parking assistance if you don’t want to make the most of the assisted self-parking feature, cameras to the front, rear and side, as well as rear collision warnings and rear cross-traffic alerts (there’s a cross-traffic alert for the front as well – very handy in supermarket carparks). The list of driver aids is rounded out with lane departure warnings and lane keeping assistance, and blind spot monitoring with active assistance. The M70 throws in launch control as well.  I particularly like the road sign recognition feature that works in with the speed limit reminder, which helps you avoid those “Have I passed the 70 km/h sign yet?” moments.

In summary, the 2023 BMW i7 is certainly a luxury car that actually looks like a luxury car. After all, if you are going to splash out, why would you want something that has the luxury price tag but doesn’t look all that much different from your typical runabout?

The current 2023 BMW i7 models include:

2023 BMW i7 xDrive60 M Sport

2023 BMW i7 M70 xDrive

For any more information on the new 2023 BMW i7 or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181.  If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of BMW dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!