Battery size: 101.7kWh
WLTP range: 452 miles
Max charge rate: 250kW
Real-world range (est): 300 - 420 miles
Introduction
This is the new, electric BMW 7 Series. Or BMW i7, as it’s called. You probably know that, because it does look quite similar to the outgoing BMW i7, which has been around for a few years and has graced many a limo rank outside VIP events.
It is a facelift of the existing i7, so it’s the same platform underneath and obviously we’re still talking about a huge electric limo of some 5.4 metres in length. But the important thing is that this new, 2026 BMW i7 introduces the Neue Klasse battery technology that we’ve already seen in the iX3 and i3, which has given it some 65 miles of additional range despite having the same 101.7kWh battery.
As for the styling? Well, BMW says that it wanted the new 7 to look monolithic. Which means like one giant block. Which it kind of does? I think?! What do you reckon. Leave us a comment on the video, as this has always been a divisive car and seems to be one of those love it or hate it cars. You’re certainly not going to miss it in your rearview mirror with that huge, illuminated grille, are you?
Range, battery and charging
The new BMW i7 gets a 101.7kWh usable NMC battery that delivers up to 452 miles (727km) of range – an additional 65 miles over the pre-facelift car, despite having the same capacity!
Not bad at all for a huge luxury car like this, even if it’s still a long way short of the new Mercedes EQS with its whopping 574 mile range.
Charging on the i7 is up to 250kW (an increase of 50kW on the pre-facelift i7), which means that you’ll get a 10-80% charge in under 30 minutes. Or, put another way, a 100 mile top-up will around 10- to 15 minutes provided you’re plugged into an 800V DC rapid charger.
There’s also a heat pump as standard for more efficient winter running, and the new i7 is expected to get vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging including the ability to power your home (provided you’ve got a charger capable of dealing with vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid, that is).
Practicality and boot space
The BMW i7 is only available as a long-wheelbase car (there’s a shorter version in other markets), which means that it’s a 5.4m long car – around 25cm longer than the Mercedes EQS (itself hardly a sylph), for some reference.
Mind you, you can have optional rear-axle steering, which will help to make it more manoeuvrable in a tight spot, and there’s an advanced autonomous parking system that will park the car for you – whether you’re in car park or parking parallel on the road. These autonomous parking systems are getting good, these days, and with a car this big I suspect it’ll be useful in a some situations – although I still prefer to park myself! It’s the sensation when the wheel whirs around and you’re not controlling it. Give me the shivers. I am a control freak, though, and I can tell you that it’s impressive tech if you like to use it!
You’ll be hard pushed to find anything short of a Rolls-Royce limo that’ll better the i7 for passenger space and the driving position is hugely adjustable and very comfortable as you’d expect. The massage seats are absolutely spectacular – whether you’re in the front or reclining in the back.
Interior, styling and technology
The BMW gets a vast, panoramic screen for rear passengers to stream their movies, television or the Electrifying.com YouTube channel, of course. You should check it out in Tom’s video, as it really is amazing. Even the Merc EQS can’t rival it for wow factor.
Up front, the new i7 has now gained the same infotainment system as the iX3 and i3. That means a digital display that runs along the base of the windscreen and offers you configurable widgets – or you can turn it off, if you prefer. The central 16-inch touchscreen is also familiar from the other Neue Klass models, and we know is quick to respond and has fairly intuitive menu layouts. Obviously, it also gets wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, nav with intelligent charger search and route planning, over the air software updates, and much more.
There’s also a standard passenger screen, and even a camera that allows you to take part in video meetings. And the voice control (which is obviously powered by AI)… Well, it’s good. So good that it starting to back-chat. Check out Tom’s video to find out what I mean!
Motors and performance
BMW will offer the new i7 as the 50 xDrive, 60 xDrive and range-topping M70 xDrive, which get 455, 544 and 680hp respectively. That’s good for a 0-62mph sprint of 5.5, 4.8 and 3.8 seconds depending on which model you go for. That’s not slow, is it?!
Obviously, as the xDrive badging suggests, all of those will be four-wheel drive – as will the plug-in hybrid variants.
Then you’ve got the standard adaptive air suspension to keep things floaty or sporty depending on your mood, and that optional rear-wheel steering to help give it a tighter turning circle and more stable high-speed handling. Mind you, we haven’t driven the new, 2026 BMW i7 yet, so we’ll have to wait and see whether the experience lives up to the on-paper promise.
Pricing and on sale date
We haven’t got confirmed pricing for the new BMW i7 yet, but I wouldn’t expect it to be much more than the outgoing car so I’m expecting prices from around £100,000 up to £160,000 for the rapid M variant (the latter of which will also get a whole host of standard features that the other cars will have as options, as well as that extra performance).
Expect to see the BMW i7 on sale in the UK in September this year, with some European markets getting it a bit earlier.
Verdict
The BMW i7 is a seriously impressive piece of luxury automotive real estate, and as electric limos go I suspect you’ll be hard pressed to find a better one to spend time in. But we haven’t driven the new i7 yet, and with the Merc EQS offering much longer official range, we’re just going to have to wait and get these two in for a proper comparison before we can say for sure which is the new king of the electric limos.
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