At launch, the i7 will be available in 50 xDrive and 60 xDrive strengths, with dual-motor powertrains tuned for 449 hp (335 kW) and 487 lb-ft (660 Nm) and 536 hp (400 kW) and 549 lb-ft (745 Nm), respectively. BMW reckons the i7 60 xDrive will do zero to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 4.6 seconds, while the 50 xDrive will do the same in 5.3 seconds.
BMW continues to offer adaptive regenerative braking that varies the level of regen based on navigation data and the speed of cars ahead, as well as a coasting feature for increased efficiency at highway speeds. Drivers can also manually select low, medium, and high settings.
Combustion engines continue
The 740 makes about 400 hp.
Credit: Stephen Edelstein
The 740 makes about 400 hp. Credit: Stephen Edelstein
A V8 option will return in an M-badged variant at a future date, but for now, the rear-wheel-drive 740 and all-wheel-drive 740 xDrive have a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six producing 394 hp (294 kW) and 398 lb-ft (540 Nm) of torque. BMW says the xDrive version will do zero to 60 mph in less than five seconds.
A 750e xDrive plug-in hybrid model adds an electric motor to the inline-six. It’s rated at 483 hp (360 kW) and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) of torque, with zero to 60 mph in an estimated 4.6 seconds, like the i7 60 xDrive. Those figures are unchanged from the current 7 Series plug-in hybrid, as is the usable battery capacity of 18.7 kWh. That yields 34 miles (55 km) of EPA-rated electric range in the current car. And yes, the amount of customers who actually charge their plug-in hybrids is “quite significant,” Keller said, although he didn’t have specific numbers to quote.
Pricing increases by just $500 for the 740 and 740 xDrive, which start at $101,350 and $104,350, respectively, including the $1,550 destination charge. The i7 models see bigger increases, but the $106,200 starting price for the i7 50 xDrive and $126,250 starting price for the i7 60 xDrive (again, with destination) probably won’t trouble the target audience. These models should reach the US before the end of the year, while the 750e xDrive will follow in 2027, with pricing to be announced closer to that time.