Photo: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
With the unveiling date understood to have been set for later this year, BMW has started peeling away some of the artificial skin of the next-gen 7 Series.
Case in point, the luxury sedan, which will continue to rival the likes of the Audi A8 and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, has been spotted in the open once more, wearing less camouflage than before. Thus, its overall shape, and, more importantly, the controversial front-end design, are more visible than ever.
The grille, which apparently won’t be as big as the ones of the latest M3 and M4 models, among others, will be flanked by the real headlamps, whereas further up, it will have new LED DRLs. The double-light styling, together with the new hood and fenders, will be the most controversial upgrades of the car.
The profile won’t undergo such dramatic changes, save for the flush-mounted door handles obviously, and at the back, it will sport thinner taillamps that could still be linked together by a thin lighting strip. The license plate holder was moved from the trunk lid to the bumper, and the parking sensors sit right above it. We can also see that it has vertical instead of horizontal reflectors and no tailpipes incorporated into the diffuser in one of the scooped prototypes.
Mandatory stickers reading ‘Hybrid Test Vehicle’ tell us that this version of the upcoming 7er uses an internal combustion engine with electrical assistance, and plug-in capabilities, as it has a charging port on the left front fender. As you can imagine, details surrounding it are a well-preserved secret, though it is understood to be joined by the usual inline-six and V8 power units. A battery-electric variant, dubbed the i7, will be introduced as well, perhaps with a 120 kWh battery that will enable a 435-mile (700-km) range, taking the battle to the Mercedes-Benz EQS and Tesla Model S.
The grille, which apparently won’t be as big as the ones of the latest M3 and M4 models, among others, will be flanked by the real headlamps, whereas further up, it will have new LED DRLs. The double-light styling, together with the new hood and fenders, will be the most controversial upgrades of the car.
The profile won’t undergo such dramatic changes, save for the flush-mounted door handles obviously, and at the back, it will sport thinner taillamps that could still be linked together by a thin lighting strip. The license plate holder was moved from the trunk lid to the bumper, and the parking sensors sit right above it. We can also see that it has vertical instead of horizontal reflectors and no tailpipes incorporated into the diffuser in one of the scooped prototypes.
Mandatory stickers reading ‘Hybrid Test Vehicle’ tell us that this version of the upcoming 7er uses an internal combustion engine with electrical assistance, and plug-in capabilities, as it has a charging port on the left front fender. As you can imagine, details surrounding it are a well-preserved secret, though it is understood to be joined by the usual inline-six and V8 power units. A battery-electric variant, dubbed the i7, will be introduced as well, perhaps with a 120 kWh battery that will enable a 435-mile (700-km) range, taking the battle to the Mercedes-Benz EQS and Tesla Model S.
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