2023 BMW 7 Series And Electric i7 Now In PH, Starts At P8.990M

SMC Asia Car Distributors Corp. (SMC ACDC), the distributor of BMW in the Philippines, has just unveiled the flagship 2023 BMW 7 Series. The arrival of the all-new 7 Series brings the brand into an electrified and sustainable era of luxury as it introduces a host of firsts for the brand.

The 2023 BMW 7 Series wears the brand’s latest family face that will be utilized by the brand’s upcoming“Luxury Class” flagship vehicles. This is characterized by its split headlight design that’s composed of LED daytime running lights housed in crystal glass and separate main adaptive LED headlight clusters. And then, of course, there’s that enormous kidney grille. The upright silhouette and classic lines are very reminiscent of older 7 Series generations such as the E38, which is arguably one of the best-looking generations to our eyes.

Two variants will be sold, a 735i and an electric i7. Whereas the previous 7 Series came in standard and long wheelbase forms, the new generation (G70) will only come as a long wheelbase model. As for exterior features, the 735i comes with soft-close doors and 19-inch wheels.

On the other hand, the i7 comes with blue BMW i exterior highlights, larger 21-inch wheels, and the Iconic Glow package. The Iconic Glow package includes LED daytime running lights made out of Swarovski crystals that sparkle while the i7 is parked, along with an illuminated trim piece surrounding the grille. Oh, and the doors of the i7 open automatically via the key fob or via a button inside and outside the i7. Yes, these doors have sensors so that it won’t hit an obstacle beside it.

Moving inside the 2023 BMW 7 Series, you’ll be greeted by an absolutely elegant and luxurious interior that’s dominated by twin curved displays that are powered by the latest iDrive 8 operating system. For the i7, this benefits from crystal interior trim pieces that change their colors as you interact with it, which BMW calls their Interaction Bar.

As for features, the 735i uses Veganza vegan leather upholstery, which has 85 percent less CO2 from its production, along with power-adjustable front and rear executive seats with heating, powered sunshades, the new 5.5-inch Touch Command door-mounted screens, four-zone climate control, a fixed panoramic sunroof, and a sublime Bowers & Wilkins Surround Sound System.

Splurging for the i7 adds Merino leather upholstery in four colors: Amarone, Tartufo, Mocha, and Black, along with open-pore matt wood, cooled seats for both the front and rear seats and being an electric BMW i model, it also comes with the IconicSounds synthesized driving tones.

Powering the BMW 735i is a 3.0-liter inline-6 turbo gasoline engine and a 48-volt integrated starter generator (ISG), thus making this a mild hybrid. This powertrain produces 286 hp and 425 Nm of torque and has a 0-100 kph of 6.7 seconds.

As for the first-ever i7, it comes with a dual-motor setup that has a total output of 536 hp and 745 Nm, which is enough for a 0-100 kph time of 4.5 seconds. The range provided by the i7’s 101.7 kWh battery pack is a WLTP-claimed range of 592 km.

Because this is, after all, BMW’s flagship, the 7 Series comes with a suite of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) as standard. For the 735i, this includes Active Protection–which warns the driver if it detects signs of fatigue, and if an accident occurs, the brakes are automatically applied until the car reaches a standstill. On the other hand, Active Guard monitors potential hazards and supports drivers to react in time. It preconditions the vehicle brakes and, in some instances, applies them to minimize stopping distances in an emergency.

It’s the i7 that gets the full beans as this includes the Driving Assistant Professional system as standard, and this bundles adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, just to name few.

SMC ACDC is pricing the 2023 BMW 7 Series at P8,990,000 for the 735i Pure Excellence while the i7 Pure Excellence retails for P10,390,000. The latter also includes a Level 2 AC home charger for free.