2023 BMW 7-Series brings a new generation of competition for the S-Class

In the past couple of years, with the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class making waves with its regular, and Maybach versions, BMW has been awfully silent in the luxury sedan segment. But not anymore. 2023 BMW 7-Series arrives, armed with all that is needed to combat the “World’s best car”. The seventh generation of the 7 gets all the tech, powerful engines, a completely electric BMW i7 version, and most importantly, a colossal grill.

Since its launch in 1977, the BMW 7-Series has been giving tough competition to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Now as it walks into its seventh generation, the large sedan will also contribute to the vast electrification going on across the BMW portfolio.

Before you notice the powertrain under the hood, the grill is sure to grab your attention. BMW’s large kidney grills have been attracting a lot of hate in the online world. The 7-Series is not giving up on this trend, as it too sports two gaping nostrils. But truth be told, the large grill does look less out of place on this large sedan.

Another notable design feature of the 2023 7-Series is its split headlamps. The LED running lights sit on the top and the headlamp unit is down on the bumper. This, along with the large grill, gives the 7-Series a bold front end. The i7 gets blue accents, pointing at its zero-emission character. The petrol models come with standard M Sport styling. Shadowline trim darkens some exterior trim to give an even more sinister look.

The interior is where all the magic lies in this segment. For the driver, the 2023 BMW 7-Series packs. A massive curved glass houses two screens behind it, a 14.9-inch infotainment screen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. These screens run BMW’s latest iDrive 8 software, as a part of BMW’s Live Cockpit Plus. Below this glass, a long surface runs, housing touch-capacitive controls for the HVAC system.

In terms of features, the second row dwarfs the front, despite the array of screens up there. Speaking of screens, the big shots seated at the rear enjoys a big, big one. A 31.3-inch 8K Theater Screen with Amazon Fire TV and other online services built-in comes optional. Controlling this screen is possible via two 5.5-inch tablets on the door panels. To add more sound to this mix, you can also add in the optional Bowers & Wilkins sound system with 36 speakers with full 4D function.

The 2023 BMW 7-Series gets a “Level 2 plus” hands-free driving system along with all standard features that come with BMW’s active driver assistance suite. It also gains the brand’s improved Parking Assistant, with Remote Smartphone Parking capability and Reverse Assist.

Power comes from either the good old petrol way or a modern electric way. On the petrol side of things, the 2023 BMW 7-Series gets two different engines. The smaller engine is a turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder unit plonked into the 740i. This mill gets a 48V mild-hybrid assist, making it good for 375 hp. With the mild-hybrid system helping it, it can get a maximum torque figure of 540 Nm for short bursts. This helps the 740i to hit 100 km/hr from a standstill in just over 5.2 seconds.

Heating up the game is BMW’s twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 in the range-topping 760i xDrive. The power goes up to 536 hp while the torque shoots to 750 Nm. The 0-100 kph time drops down to just over 4.4 seconds. Both models use the 8-speed automatic transmission from the BMW lineup.

Moving to the electric side, the 2023 BMW i7 xDrive 60, as it is called, uses two electric motors to propel itself. The combined output is 536 hp and 744 Nm. The time needed to burst from 0 to 100 kph is just over 4.7 seconds, just 0.3 seconds slower than the V8 model. The top speed is limited to 240 kph. The petrol models can go 10 km/hr faster.

The 2023 BMW i7 gets a 101.7-kWh battery which can last up to 480 kms based on the EPA driving cycle. But this figure is an unofficial estimate as of now. The i7 supports fast DC charging up to 195 kW, juicing up 80 percent of the battery in just 10 minutes.

All 2023 BMW 7-Series models get air suspension on all four wheels with automatic self-leveling capability and electronically controlled dampers. To maneuver this large sedan easily, BMW throws in rear-wheel steering up to 3.5 degrees and integral adaptive steering.