BMW launches 7 Series and i7 facelifts in India at Rs 1.95 crore
BMW India launched the facelifted 7 Series and its all-electric sibling, the i7, on Friday, 11 September, with both starting at Rs 1.95 crore (ex-showroom), Autocar India reported. The update comes more than three and a half years after the current-generation 7 Series arrived in the country.
The petrol 7 Series is offered in a single variant, the 740, which is Rs 10 lakh dearer than the outgoing car's Rs 1.85 crore price. The diesel 740d has been dropped from the Indian line-up, according to Autocar India. The i7 comes in two trims: the eDrive50 at Rs 1.95 crore and the M70 xDrive at Rs 2.65 crore.
Design and cabin
The facelift brings a more upright front end with slim daytime running lights extending outward, LED units placed above vertical air intakes, squared-off kidney grilles with horizontal slats and a wider air dam. Alloy wheels are 20 inches as standard, with 22-inch options, and the rear gets new full-width LED tail-lamps.
The bigger change is inside. The dashboard follows the layout of BMW's Neue Klasse models, with a 17.9-inch rhomboidal central touchscreen, a 14.6-inch passenger display and a pillar-to-pillar "Panoramic Vision" projection along the base of the windscreen. There is a two-spoke steering wheel and a redesigned centre console with a cylindrical rotary drive selector.
Equipment includes a 35-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system, powered doors, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, over-the-air updates, Level 2 driver assistance, and heated, ventilated and massaging seats. A 31.3-inch 8K rear entertainment screen is optional.
Engines and range
The 740 keeps its 3.0-litre turbo-petrol straight-six with 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance, now tuned to 400 hp and 540 Nm, up 19 hp and 20 Nm. Power goes to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic; BMW quotes 0-100 kph in 5.4 seconds. Rear-wheel steering and adaptive suspension are standard.
The i7 eDrive50 produces 455 hp and 600 Nm, does 0-100 kph in 5.5 seconds and draws on a 112.5 kWh battery for a WLTP range of 728 km, an improvement of 125 km over the previous model, Autocar India said. The M70 xDrive makes 680 hp and up to 1,100 Nm in Sport Boost mode, hits 100 kph in 3.8 seconds and is rated at 686 km. On a 250 kW DC charger, the battery goes from 10 to 80 per cent in 28 minutes; a 22 kW AC wallbox, supplied free, takes about six hours for a full charge.
The 740 and i7 eDrive50 are assembled at BMW's Chennai plant, while the M70 xDrive is imported fully built.
Positioning against the S-Class
At Rs 1.95 crore, the new 7 Series undercuts the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, priced at Rs 2.20-2.38 crore, by up to Rs 43 lakh, Autocar India noted. CarWale had listed the facelift at an expected Rs 1.85 crore ahead of launch, so the final sticker is slightly higher than early estimates.
What happens next
Bookings are open through BMW India dealerships, with deliveries expected to begin in the coming weeks. The pricing sets up a direct fight with the S-Class and the Mercedes EQS in the electric segment, and rival launches in the luxury space are expected through the festive season.