When BMW debuted the new 7 Series in 2022, it set a new standard for large luxury sedans, increasingly irrelevant though that class is. Rather than siloing off an electric alternative like Mercedes, with its EQS alongside the normal S-Class, BMW simply made the powertrain an option. Stick with a V8 if you want, or consider the rather good electric version instead—only subtle differences like the badging and lack of exhaust pipes give the game away.
Since then, BMW has brought out a string of even newer electric vehicles for the 5 and 3 Series (plus their SUV counterparts). It has switched from battery packs made of prismatic cells to more energy-dense arrangements of cylindrical cells. The motors are still electrically excited synchronous ones, but now the drive units feature silicon carbide inverters and more compact packaging.
This sixth-generation electric powertrain was designed for the clean-sheet Neue Klasse family, which also threw out the legacy cruft of dozens and dozens of discrete single-function electronic control units for a handful of powerful domain controllers. These computers take over those functions but with much faster processing power—and therefore more capabilities in terms of chassis control or powertrain efficiency—as well as the ability to be more easily updated.
Credit:
Daniel Kraus/BMW
The sedan has a very high belt line.
Credit:
Daniel Kraus/BMW
Which could have left BMW with something of a problem—should the flagship be clearly outclassed in terms of power and energy density and range efficiency by, well, all the other EVs in the range? Clearly, the board decided the answer to that was no, and for the 7 Series’ midlife update, the i7 got some comprehensive surgery under the skin.
6th-gen power
Compared to the last i7 I drove, the 2027 model boasts a higher-capacity battery pack, now 112.5 kWh (net) up from 101.7 kWh, although BMW stuck with a 400 V architecture, unlike in the Neue Klasse or the iX5 we recently drove. A less-powerful 50 xDrive and a more powerful M70 xDrive will also be available, but at the first drive, I sampled the midrange 60 xDrive model, which features a combined 544 hp (400 KW) and 549 lb-ft (745 Nm), roughly equivalent to the pre-facelift car.
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