Ashish Jha 
Things at BMW are strange. Some of their cars look good, and most look peculiar. But beyond the aesthetics, when you start diving into the complex world of technology, BMW is experimenting and doing some phenomenal things. The i7 is a great example of that, and today is our date with it.
Let’s see how much of it, can we understand!
Design
Looks matter, and while I’m not one to press on about each curve and crease in detail, there’s no denying that the i7 has a lot of presence. That shouldn’t be confused with good looks — presence and beauty are two very different things! Frankenstein’s monster has immense presence, but it’s not what you’ll call good-looking. It’s a similar case with the i7 — or the 7 Series in general.
The front is all sorts of weird with a huge and ungainly grille, the split headlights, the crazy intakes — everything. The rear, too, has a lot going on — a lot of surface layering, those thin lamps… It’s all too much!
The side is a very basic, straight slab of metal. But at the front and the rear, It’s way too busy and doesn’t look graceful, which a car of this kind should.
A big luxury barge should look stately and elegant. The 7, doesn’t. And you know why it doesn’t — the reason is China. BMW executives have gone on record to say that they do about 40-45% of sales there and such designs are a result of studies that tell that Chinese people love such kind of look. Overgrown nostrils, narrowed eyes — really?! Anyway, it seems to be working!
Interior
It is the cabin experience that this car is all about. You have to be in this car to see what I mean. The EQS is fantastic with its HYPERSCREEN experience but there’s a greater sense of occasion in the i7, I feel.
The thick crystallised glass that runs across the width at the front looks fantastic — it’s like a huge piece of a beautiful chandelier. There’s more crystal around the door for seat adjustment, the iDrive dial, the volume controller and the rear armrests.
And then the colours. I’m not very drawn to the ambient lighting; I think it’s a gimmick for the most part, and some colours look quite hopeless. But in the i7, each colour — whether bright green or dull pink… looks lovely and fills up the cabin with a beautiful and energetic vibe — which forms a great contrast with the relaxed and laid-back calm of the seats. The ones in the EQS felt firm, I remember. The i7 soaks you in — it consumes you.
They are heated and cooled. The seats massage you in many ways, too, and they are done in beautiful upholstery, plus there’s a slide-out foot rest when you go into the lounge mode.
The rear seats are reclinable — up to 42.5 degrees and the door armrest doubles up as a control panel for almost everything — from blinds to seat adjustment and massage function, infotainment all such things.
There’s a luxury feel everywhere — the way the different materials are used and laid out, the acoustic experience also, because this is the i7 and motors play a huge role… It’s all lovely.
But the biggest draw, the biggest flaunt item, the biggest USP of the i7 is its theatre screen. We’ve all seen headrest-mounted screens and media units, but the way the i7 offers that experience is mind-blowing — thanks to a 31.3-inch ultra-wide screen that projects 8k resolution!
It supports the Amazon FireTV ecosystem and has HDMI input as well if you choose to play something from an external device. And the screen can be adjusted for the most optimum viewing angle. Plus, there’s the regular suite of connectivity with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Driving
Now, let’s talk a bit about the drive experience. And right away, let’s get this straight — this is not a bespoke all-electric platform. The Merc EQS; that is. The i7 is based on the 7 Series but the ICE driveline has been replaced with batteries, motors and wires.
There’s a sense of serenity and calm about the i7. The EQS feels quite contrasting to it. And that stems from the fact that the i7 is more an electrified 7 Series than an EQS chaser. I’m pretty sure the buyer profile overlaps between the EQS and i7 will be very small. One thing that I could instantly figure out was how different the i7 and the EQS take their electric driving credentials. For example, in the EQS, there’s a system through microphones and speakers that registers low-frequency external noises (road noise, wind noise etc.) and plays an opposing frequency sound to cancel them out. This lends the cabin immense quietness.
The i7 is a bit — only slightly — louder by comparison. The tyre noise and the general external resistance are more felt in the cabin. But that aside, there’s nothing you can fault the i7 on. The ride is plush yet it’s suggestive. It doesn’t completely isolate you from the road surface which is better in many ways but remains ever so plush over any road patches. The oscillations are nicely damped and the air suspension makes a strong statement every time you drive over some rude gaps.
Different modes mean different driving characters, plus the range gets altered. So, we tried the sport briefly but because this car doesn’t come with an in-car charger, we shifted and have been driving mostly in the conservative mode.
But the moment you press on the throttle, the i7 leaps — so there will never be a feeling that this is lacking in power. There’s plenty even when you’re in sedate mode.
Shifting it through bends isn’t a synthetic experience and it’s good to see that the i7 still has a childlike excitement when it sees a flowing section of road. The steering feels good and well weighted, and the four-wheel traction and steering makes it nimbler than a car of this size and weight typically would. The load shifts are not vomit-inducing — so it’s all good.
The numbers — the i7 has a 101.7kWh battery feeling a Dual motor setup which is good for 400kW or 544PS, and 745Nm. This translates into a 0-100kmph time of 4.7 seconds and BMW claims that the i7 Will go between 590-625 km on a WLTP cycle.
Charging at full capacity, which is 200kW, it can juice up to 100km in 6 minutes. But there’s hardly any chance of finding a 200kW charger! Otherwise, with an 11kW wall box, it’ll charge up in under 8 hours.
Conclusion
The i7 isn’t as feelsome an experience as the EQS is — and I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I think it’s better for it. In a car of this kind, you seek opulence, quietness and specialness. The i7 offers all of that and then adds a dose of drama in the form of that insane theatre screen.
It retains all the typical 7 Series strong points and it’s reasonably good fun to drive too. The all-electric performance is strong enough and it’ll not leave you wanting. Just… if it looked better — the i7 would be an almost faultless package.
