BMW 7 Series and i7 2022 Review – International

Australian deliveries of the new-generation 2022 BMW 7 Series are due to commence either late in the final quarter, or early next year, with the local line-up comprising two models – the BMW 740i and i7 xDrive60.

Propelled by a 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, the entry-level BMW 740i kicks off at $268,900 plus on-road costs, while the full-electric BMW i7 xDrive60 is pegged at $297,900 plus ORCs.

There’s plenty of scope to tick options boxes, but even the base-model 2022 BMW 740i comes loaded with standard features.

The kit list includes 20-inch alloy wheels, Integral Active Steering (four-wheel steer), adaptive dual-axle air suspension, Iconic Glow illuminated kidney grille, panoramic glass sunroof, M carbon-fibre interior trim, Multifunction front seats, Travel and Comfort system (supports clothes hanger, folding table, tablet holder), BMW Crystal headlights, interior camera, Driving Assistant Professional, Parking Assistant Professional, 20-speaker Bowers and Wilkins sound system, Leather Merino upholstery, Alcantara headliner, a five-year service package and more.

The full-electric i7 xDrive60 comes even more generously loaded as it includes all of the above, plus 21-inch M alloy wheels, Executive Drive Pro (including active roll stabilisation), automatic doors, multifunction rear seats, Executive Lounge rear console, acoustic pedestrian protection, 39-speaker Bowers and Wilkins Diamond surround sound, rear-seat Entertainment Experience (31.3-inch 8K screen) and BMW Individual Gran Lusso interior (Merino/Cashmere wool combo).

There’s also a ‘third generation’ wallbox included in the purchase price, a Chargefox five-year charging subscription, Mode 3 Public Charging Cable, six-year service inclusive package and more.

A wide array of metallic and non-metallic exterior colours come at no extra cost, but you’ll have to fork out $2600 if you want the matte-finish Frozen Pure Grey or Frozen Deep Grey.

There’s also the possibility of specifying a two-tone colour scheme ($17,500), with the upper section offered in a choice of Oxide Grey or Black Sapphire Metallic. Each of these two upper-section colours can be complemented by one of four hues for the lower section.

BMW has finally moved to five-year/unlimited-kilometre factory warranty, too, bringing it into line with its major rivals.

The new 2022 BMW 7 Series is yet to be crash-tested, but the flagship sedan has long been seen as one of the industry benchmarks for safety.

On-paper safety credentials include front, side and curtain airbags, active blind spot protection, frontal collision warning with city collision mitigation, lane departure warning, and active park distance control.

The standard Driving Assistance Professional Package encompasses features such as hill start assist, road sign recognition, active cruise control, emergency brake assist and lane change assist.

Parking Assistant Professional simplifies the task of parking the vehicle in tricky spots as it uses GPS and trajectory data defined by steering movements to memorise manoeuvres of up to 200m in distance.

When arriving again at the respective starting point, Parking Assistant Professional can then take over the complete driving task including accelerating, braking, steering and changing between forward and reverse gear.

You’ll then be tasked solely with watching the surroundings of the car during the automated process.

As you’d expect of a brand-new flagship offering from the Bavarian car-maker, the 2022 BMW 7 Series is a techno powerhouse.

The new G70 generation is built on a modified version BMW’s ‘CLAR’ Cluster Architecture, which is an adaptable platform that was designed from the outset to accept combustion, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and full-electric drivetrains.

The big limo – it’s almost 5.4m long and the i7 xDrive60 weighs 2640kg – is underpinned by dual-axle air suspension with double wishbones at the front and a multi-link rear-end, while the four-wheel steering system can turn the rear wheels at angles of up to 3.5 degrees to enhance low-speed manoeuvrability and instil a greater sense of stability at high speeds.

As alluded to earlier, the range-topping i7 xDrive60i comes standard with a 48-volt active roll control system that keeps the car impressively flat and composed under heavy cornering loads.

The 7 Series also comes armed with a new technology toolkit comprising the latest-generation sensors, a new software stack and computing platform that can facilitate automatic driving and parking function up to Level 3 autonomy.

Other tech highlights include a cutting-edge multi-sensory BMW iDrive system with the latest generation of BMW Operating System 8, plus the BMW Curved Display, Interaction Bar (incorporating LED ambient lighting and hidden air vents) and the Manoeuvre Assistant for automated parking and manoeuvring.

But what really distinguishes the 7 Series from its competitors is the 31.3-inch 8K theatre screen in the rear (standard in the i7 xDrive60i), which provides a true cinematic experience for rear seat occupants, thanks also to the 39-speaker surround-sound audio system.

The BMW crystal headlights are also an interesting novelty in which the daytime running lights incorporate Swarovski crystals that are backlit by 14 LED units on each flank of the car.

At launch, there’s no longer a V8 option for Australian buyers as the sole combustion offering locally on the 2022 BMW 7 Series is the 740i, which pairs a 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system to deliver maximum output of 280kW and 540Nm.

Performance is sprightly even in this entry-level model, with BMW quoting a 0-100km/h split of 5.4sec and top speed of 250km/h, so few buyers are likely to feel short-changed in the grunt department.

Even so, the i7 xDrive60 ups the ante considerably, with its dual electric motors (one each for front and rear axles) punching out 400kW and 745Nm combined. The front motor produces 190kW at 8000rpm and 365Nm from 0-5000rpm, while the rear motor develops 230kW (at the same rpm) and 380Nm from standstill through to 6000rpm.

As the output suggests, the EV powertrain makes light work of the car’s 2.6-tonne-plus girth, propelling it from 0-100km/h in 4.7sec and enabling it to reach an electronically governed V-max of 240km/h.

Preliminary figures show the 2022 BMW 740i will consume between 7.0 and 8.0L/100km on the WLTP combined cycle. That equates to CO2 emissions of 159-183g/km.

The BMW i7 xDrive60 is claimed to have power consumption of 18.4-19.6kWh/100km, using the WLTP EV cycle. The driving range is 591-625km.

The 376.4-volt, 280.8Ah high-voltage lithium-ion battery has a high 101.7kWh energy density.

Charging time is quoted at less than 5.5 hours from depleted to full using a 22kW AC wallbox (32A/380V three-phase), while DC fast-charging at 195kW will top-up the i7 from 10 to 80 per cent in a claimed 34 minutes.

Visuals are obviously important for an ultra-premium limo that’s intended to convey a sense of gravitas. To this end, the new G70-series 2022 BMW 7 Series is clothed in radical new bodywork that the car-maker describes as “monolithic”.

To my eye, the car looks slab-sided and doesn’t really gel from an aesthetic point of view, but you’re each free to reach your own conclusions about whether or not it’s an attractive piece of design as styling is always a subjective area.

While the new 7 Series limo’s looks are polarising, it’s hard to fault the driving (and riding) experience it offers.

One aspect where the new-gen vehicle really elevates itself above the opposition is in its terrific sense of dynamism and agility.

The first variant we drove at the international launch in Palm Springs was the 400kW/750Nm 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8-powered 760i xDrive, which is currently not on the agenda for our market.

It was no surprise to discover the big limo could lope along in comfort and silence at fast highway cruising speeds, but what came across as an eye-opener was how well it’s able to hide its substantial mass when the roads turn twisty.

It’s little short of staggering what BMW’s chassis engineers have been able to accomplish with the new 7 Series, which unquestionably sets a lofty new benchmark in its segment for driver engagement and backroad pace.

The fact that this dynamic tautness comes without any cost to ride quality is all the more impressive.

We subsequently slotted into the i7 xDrive60, and even though the EV is almost 400kg heavier than the 760i, it gives away little in terms of cornering capability.

Of course, it does no harm that much of the mass is concentrated low in the car, with the weighty battery pack tucked away beneath the passenger cell.

There’s a virtual ocean of instant torque on tap, so there’s initially the temptation to accelerate, lift off, and then repeat the procedure just to savour the spine-compressing urge served up by the dual electric motors.

Naturally, this variant misses out on the fruity V8 soundtrack of the 760i, but that’s irrelevant in our market as the only combustion variant we’ll get is the six-cylinder 740i.

The new 2022 BMW 7 Series takes the German car-maker’s minimalist interior design approach to a new level, with the Curved Display and LED-lit Interaction Bar (which can illuminate in thousands of hues) being the only elements to interrupt the sweeping surface of the dashboard.

The interior designers have used an artful blend of leather, wool, crystal glass, gloss carbon-fibre-look trim and metal surfaces to create a cabin that exudes both opulence and a high-tech feel.

Where the cabin of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class has a more traditional ambience, the new 7 Series leans more towards cutting-edge cool.

Being predominantly a chauffeur-driven car, much thought has gone into the design of the rear compartment, which benefits from the model’s appreciable stretch in length, width and height.

Even 1.85m-plus occupants should find legroom and headroom to their liking, while the optional Executive Lounge seating provides even more sprawling room with the seatback reclining and the front seat (on the front passenger’s side) sliding forward and deploying a fold-out foot rest.

With myriad heating/cooling and massage functions, the focus is on complete relaxation but, even so, comfort levels seem marginally short of that offered by the latest Mercedes-Benz S-Class. That said, we’d need to do a back-to-back test to establish this conclusively.

The new 2022 BMW 7 Series has plenty going for it.

Dynamically, it’s head and shoulders above anything else in its segment. It also introduces some cool new class-exclusive features, such as the 31.3-inch theatre screen, funky Interaction Bar and bling-tastic crystal headlights.

Crucially, the flagship limo ticks the boxes in terms of comfort and refinement, with the i7 xDrive60 – in particular – serving up a silky ride and an almost complete absence of ambient noise inside the cabin.

The attention to detail and exhaustive engineering that’s gone into the new 7 Series is plain to see and feel.

The only potential sticking point for some buyers could be the radical exterior design language. Time will tell whether BMW’s styling department has pushed just a little bit too far with this car…

2022 BMW 740i at a glance:
Price: $268,900 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Final quarter 2022/early 2023
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol
Outputs: 280kW/540Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.0-8.0L/100km (WLTP)
CO2: 159-183g/km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested

2022 BMW i7 xDrive60 at a glance:
Price: $297,900 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Final quarter 2022/early 2023
Powertrain: Dual electrically excited synchronous motors
Output: 400kW/745Nm (front – 190kW/365Nm; rear – 230kW/380Nm)
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 101.7kWh lithium-ion
Range: 591-625km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 18.4-19.6kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested