BMW i7

Wow, these sedans have tremendous thrust. With such an abundance of power, there is always a burst of acceleration waiting to be unleashed at the driver’s discretion. The i7 supplies an even flow of silent electric propulsion. If that’s not enough, it has a “Boost” button on the steering wheel that adds more torque for 10 seconds.

With the new 7, BMW may have finally surpassed the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in terms of ride comfort. No matter how rough or undulating the road is, the 7 shrugs it all off under its wheels. The air suspension keeps the body settled with controlled and gradual motions that make passengers feel exceedingly placid. 

The big 7 hides its girth well as it gobbles up corners and snakes through narrow country lanes. Although the steering feels rather artificial, the car’s four-wheel-steering contributes to quick turn-in response. It’s uncanny how this 6,000-pound limo remains even keel, particularly with the optional active roll stabilization.

There are some quiet cars out there, but the new 7 and the i7 in particular take it to a new level. The cabin is extremely well hushed. Unlike the similarly priced Lucid Air, there is no electric motor whine and practically no wind noise. The 760i xDrive’s V8 is silky-smooth and has a muffled, satisfying purr.

The seats are not only sumptuous, comfortable, and supportive but also therapeutic. The massage feature is a real treat and might help keep drivers alert and fresh on a long drive. Our favorite mode was the Wave massage.

With the optional Rear Executive Lounge Seating, even rear passengers get reclining seats, a massage feature, and a 31-inch theater screen that’s deployable from the ceiling.

Even though the i7 and the conventional 7 Series share the same basic structure and interior designs, we appreciate the i7’s EV-specific displays. As soon as one opens the driver’s door, both the predicted driving range and the battery’s state-of-charge are shown. When charging, the instrument cluster indicates the charging rate in kW and time to full charge. While coasting or braking, EVs have the ability to take braking energy, otherwise wasted, and send it back to the battery to optimize range. The i7 utilizes its radar that identifies vehicles ahead, and makes the car slow down accordingly. As a side benefit to the energy savings, it minimizes unintentional tailgating.

We’ve come to appreciate the ability to customize the level of regenerative braking (or how much the car slows down upon lifting off the throttle) in EVs by using steering wheel paddles. The i7, like other BMW EVs, doesn’t have that convenience, instead making drivers search for a low-mounted button on the console, followed by an action on the screen. That said, the driver can quickly toggle the one-pedal driving feature by choosing “B” with the gear selector.

With the optional Driver Assist Pro, the 7’s adaptive cruise control was spot on, slowing down for traffic piling up ahead and resuming progress once traffic cleared, all on its own. Its lane centering feature worked in the background and felt unobtrusive. The 7 smoothly changes lanes by itself if you activate the turn signals and the car’s sensors and cameras deem that the coast is clear. We suspect it even sees directional signaling of cars ahead because the i7 routinely slowed down on its own as if it was anticipating that a signaling car ahead is about to cross into the 7’s path.

The 7 Series’ cabin is exquisite, thanks to the Alcantara-lined headliner, Merino leather seats, brushed aluminum speaker grills, and crystal finishing touches on the iDrive controller, gear selector, and parts of the dash.

For the ultimate convenience, the doors power open at the touch of a button and only open according to as much clearance they have to swing out. These are heavy doors, so it can be an appreciated frill.