The BMW i7 looks set to revolutionise luxury motoring in Singapore with its groundbreaking tech, but can buyers stomach its looks and price?

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Photos: Ben Chia and Lionel Kong

SINGAPORE

Luxury sedan buyers in Singapore tend to lean towards the conservative side, with many staying true to the tried and tested. It’s no surprise that most of them generally gravitate towards the Mercedes-Benz S-Class or BMW 7 Series, and tend to stick to their choice generation after generation.

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As we move into the electric age though, carmakers are also looking at how to redefine what luxury entails in this new era. Mercedes-Benz fired the first salvo with their sleek-looking EQS, which is ostensibly aimed at a new generation of successful industry leaders (think Mark Zuckerberg and the likes). BMW however seems to be trying to strike a balance between retaining their existing clientele, and attracting newer and younger buyers into their luxury fold.

The i7 is the Bavarian brand’s first attempt into entering the electric luxury sedan space, and by some measure they appear to be playing it safe a tad, by simply making it an electric version of the new 7 Series. At the same time however, BMW has opted to give the latest generation 7 Series, and thus by extension the i7, some rather, shall we say, interesting styling.

As Ju-Len has explained in his international drive review, the i7 is a hulking beast of a car. It’s bigger than a Bentley Flying Spur, and the car almost feels like a mini Rolls-Royce in stature. It also means that parking the i7 in a parallel lot, especially in tiny Singapore, can be quite a challenge, despite the myriad of sensors, cameras and parking aids on offer.

Everything about this car is about making its presence known, from its large imposing grille to its fancy LED daytime running lights complete with Swarovski crystals that do a little dance as you lock or unlock the car. The overall design cohesion may seem a little awkward in pictures, but it actually does look better in the flesh.

Nevertheless, perhaps one can look past the i7’s divisive looks, and instead be taken in by the car’s numerous party tricks. There is a function where you can press a button on the key fob and open up all four doors simultaneously, the usefulness of which is debatable, but it makes for a really cool bit to show off to your friends. 

Opening the door the regular way is a thing of wonder too, as you simply press a button on the handle, and the car automatically does the rest. You do the same with a button on the dashboard to close the door while inside, and while it does take some getting used to, it does make the car feel really rather futuristic and techy.

The dashboard is dominated by the large curved screen that we’ve already seen on recent newer BMWs, and in the i7 is made up of a 12.3-inch driver instrument display, and a 14.9-inch infotainment touchscreen.

Just below that though is what BMW calls the Interaction Bar, which lights up in all sorts of colours, selectable based on your mood and preference. It also houses some buttons for the air con controls, and bizarrely for the glove box as well, but mostly it just serves as a means to dazzle and impress everyone in the car.

But of course, in a luxury limo, the rear is where it’s at, and the i7 is equally impressive here too. Besides the usual massage reclining seats that is now expected in cars in this class, there’s also a  5.5-inch touchscreen on each door to control various functions, such as climate, entertainment, lighting and what have you. Sadly, the whopping 31-inch fold-down rear widescreen monitor that you can watch your Amazon Prime Videos on won’t be available for Singapore just as yet, but apparently BMW is targeting for it to be approved for use here by mid-2023. 

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