In the coming years, the select F segment will undergo rapid electrification. As flagships of their respective brands, the dealership saloons must offer customers the most advanced solutions, serving as a technological showcase for premium cut manufacturers.
Thus, brands such as Audi, Mercedes-Benz, or Jaguar will have models of this type in their range in the short term: the A9 e-Tron, EQS, and XJ. BMW, one of the best-known premium firms in the world, will not be left behind either, with the launch of its ambitious i7 planned for the year 2022. What can we expect from this model?
Initially, the i7 will be available with two battery packs: one of 80 kWh that will allow it to reach 310 miles of autonomy, and another 120 kWh with which it will be able to homologate 434 mile-range. Therefore, it is expected that at the time of its launch, the i7 will become one of the most autonomous electric cars on the market.
The model will be based on the CLAR multi-energy modular platform, and is also the most powerful member of the Series 7 range (thermal model from which it will derive). “And I can say it officially today: our flagship BMW 7 Series will be one [of the electric models we will make in China]. The next generation of the 7 Series will be available with four powertrain variants: gasoline, diesel, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric. All powertrains will be based on a single architecture. And the most potent 7 Series will be fully electric!” – confirmed Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the BMW Board of Directors, recently.
Now the definitive BMW i7 has been taken for testing, still wholly camouflaged. The Bavarian brand is no longer using mules with the bodywork of the current 7 Series to test its electric flagship. The final body has smoother and more elegant lines inspired by the 2014 BMW Vision Future Luxury prototype.
The main aesthetic differences between the 7 Series and i7 will be limited to a double-fairing kidney grille, specifically designed bumpers, and aerodynamic wheels. Technologically speaking, the electric saloon should have the same arsenal of driving aids as the 2021 BMW iNEXT, including its Tier 3 autonomous driving system.