BMW 7 Series 2022: Australian release date set for new-gen large luxury sedan

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The new G70-chassis BMW 7 Series will be released in Australia in late 2022, with Bavaria’s latest limo bringing dramatic new styling and an all-electric i7 variant into the fold.

BMW says it aims to lead the large luxury sedan segment – long dominated by the Mercedes-Benz S-Class – with a new 7 Series that it says provides “new innovations in sustainability and digitalisation”. 

Key new features include a 31.3-inch BMW Theatre screen with 8K resolution that folds down from the ceiling to offer a premium private cinema for the rear occupants.  

Set to be sold exclusively in long-wheelbase form – eschewing the option of a shorter wheelbase offered in every BMW 7 Series generation since the initial E23 chassis in 1977 – petrol, diesel and electric powertrains will be offered globally, though it is likely Australia will receive only the petrol versions and electric i7.

Other key features new to the 7 Series include automatic opening and closing doors, panel heating for the armrests and door trim, 5.5-inch touchscreen displays in the rear doors, a large panoramic sunroof and a combined 12.3-inch and 14.9-inch integrated curved display for the driver and front passenger.  

Like many modern BMW’s, the front end has received a large grille design with Hyundai Kona-like strip DRL lights which sit above the standard LED headlights. 

The rear end of the car has been revised, too, which reminds us of design philosophy used on other recent BMW products such as the BMW iX. 

The 7 Series will have its global market launch in November 2022 and will arrive in Australia at the end of 2022. 

Local pricing will be announced closer to the launch date and is expected to increase by a degree on the outgoing G11-chassis 7 Series prices, which ranged from $204,400 for a 730d to $383,900 for the range-topping M760Li xDrive.

Petrol, diesel and electric engines for global 7 Series lineup

There will be several different variants available for the new 7 Series at launch, though only petrol and all-electric powertrains will come to Australia – in Europe, diesel will also be an option.

Australian 7 Series customers will see their choices kicked off by the 740i, which utilises a 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol inline six-cylinder engine producing 280kW of power and 540Nm of torque.

An all-electric i7 xDrive60 will also launch in Australia, featuring powerful performance from a 400kW/745Nm all-electric powertrain and a WLTP range of 590-625km thanks to a large 101.7kWh usable battery pack. The i7 will be able to sprint to 100km/h in 4.7 seconds. 

Plug-in hybrid variants are set to follow in 2023 which will include the first M electric model to feature a straight-six engine with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. 

Named the M760e xDrive, this variant will have outputs of 420kW/800Nm and will debut sometime in 2023.  

A range topping i7 M70 xDrive will arrive later in 2023 that will have, as BMW claims, over 441kW of power and 1000Nm of torque. 

Other cool features of the new 7 Series

All models in the 7 Series range, including the i7, will feature two-axle air suspension with electronic dampers fitted as standard. 

With this system, ride height automatically drops by 10mm in sport mode or raises by up to 20mm for off-road or bumpy road conditions. 

Integral active steer is also available as an option on all 7 Series models, which in basic terms, is BMW’s wording for rear-wheel steering. The rear wheels can turn in the opposite direction to the front wheels at up to 3.5-degrees. 

BMW has added a new feature called “Great Entrance Moments” which involves the car performing an orchestrated lighting and door opening extravaganza for the driver as they walk toward the vehicle. 

The BMW 7 Series range has been created with sustainability in mind and is constructed using a multitude of recycled materials such as second-use aluminium, synthetic yarns, reused plastic and fishing nets recovered from the sea. A special trim called Veganza offers properties similar to leather but has up to 85 percent less carbon emissions than full leather trim. 

Safety is an important part of the new 7 Series and will include a front-collision warning system as standard on all 7 Series models. This system includes pedestrian and cyclist warnings, cross road warning and even incoming traffic warning. 

Other systems such as speed limit assist, evasion assistant and lane departure warning are all standard across the range. Parking assistant and reversing assistant are also standard. 

Additional safety features can be ordered as part of a driving assistant package.