BMW India has launched the seventh generation all-new BMW 7 Series along with the BMW i7. The petrol-powered seven series starts at INR 1.70 crore, ex-showroom, India, for the 740i M Sport trim level.
The 740i trim comes with a 3.0L six-cylinder engine and a 48V mild hybrid system and is paired with an eight-speed automatic, producing 380hp in the all-wheel drive setup.
The one that stole the limelight was the i7 which marks an entry for the brand in the top-end luxury EV market. The CBU car is priced at INR 1.95 crore, ex-showroom, India. The EV comes with a 102 kWh battery pack powering the dual motor setup to produce 544 hp and helping the sedan to cover 625 kms on a single charge.
With the deliveries for the sedan starting from March 2023 onwards, the company noted that a diesel variant is also in the pipelines, which is slated to arrive sometime later this year.
Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India, noted that the new 7-series represents the face of the BMW luxury class.
The new seven series continues to be based on the company’s CLAR - Cluster Architecture platform and follow the brand's progressive design language. Measuring 5,391mm in length, which is 131 mm longer than the predecessor with a wheelbase of 3,215mm and having a width of 1,950mm and a height of 1,544mm, the sedan follows the new age styling from the carmaker with an illuminated large grille at the front and split headlights on each corner.
In the i7, the grille gets blacked out, but the size remains the same. While for the side profile, the vehicle gets a flush electronic door handle which is claimed to improve drag coefficient and a choice of 19-inch to 22-inch alloy wheels. At the rear, the horizontal LED tail lamps take the stage, reminiscent of the iX.
Setting The Mood Inside
The vehicle maker has offered some unique and new-age updates on the interior. To start with, it gets a 12.3-inch instrument display, a 14.9-inch infotainment screen with iDrive 8 operating system and two 5.5-inch touch screens integrated into each rear door handle to operate the in-cabin functionalities. In addition, the car also comes with the myBMW app, which allows the customers to control several remote vehicle services while also allowing customers to share the digital key with five other people.
However, they aren’t the only screens in the cabin. The sedan comes with a 31.3-inch, 8K 'cinema' screen mounted within the roof for the rear passengers. The screen folds down to offer video streaming via Amazon Fire TV in 16:9, 21:9 and 32:9 formats.
Other notable features in the cabin include automatic door opening and closing, Bowels and Wilkins surround sound system, panorama glass roof sky lounge, and BMW interaction bar at the front, to name a few.
2022: A Year Of BMW
Jean-Philippe Parain, Senior Vice President, Sales, Regions Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, BME, noted that the BMW group delivered strong performance worldwide in 2022 despite the economic recession in the western world and has become the leader in the luxury car market globally, ahead of Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Tesla.
He added that during the year, the group doubled its EV sales across brands, with 115,000 units sold globally in the calendar year, stating technology factor proved to be the success mantra.
On the Indian business, he added that the market holds immense potential for the luxury car market. “BMW India’s growth has seen the highest for the brand globally in 2022,” he said.
Adding to this, Pawah noted that 2022 had been a momentous year for the brand in India as the ‘BMW Car’ brand completed 15 years in the country while the ‘MINI’ and the ‘Motorrad’ brands completed ten years and five years, respectively.
In 2022 the group in India achieved its highest-ever annual sales of 19,263 units across its portfolio. On a YoY basis, the company achieved 37% growth, while the MINI and the Motorrad brand grew by 11% and 40%, respectively.
Reflecting on these figures, the President of the Indian entity stated that the brand is the leader in the electro-mobility space in India both in terms of offerings and in the luxury car segment. Meanwhile, with its growth figure, BMW Motorrad India found its place in the top 10 countries globally. “Our next goal is to meet the high customer demand,” Pawah added.
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