A day after the new S-Class was revealed, BMW deploys the very first camouflaged test prototypes of the future 7 Series plug-in hybrid and i7 electric luxury flagships, sending out a powerful message to the competitors. Under the internal codename G70/G71, depicting the two wheelbase sizes, the new generation of the 7 Series is set to be officially introduced around Summer 2022. As to give a strong message on its electrification strategy, the first prototypes are testing the PHEV and pure-electric powertrains.

The future G70/G71 7 Series will be the first in the history of BMW to be also offered in an all-electric variant – i7. Furthermore, new plug-in hybrid versions will also join the conventional ICE-powered models, thus adhering to the Power of Choice principle.

As you can see from the first spyshots captured recently, the 7 Series is in for a drastic makeover. In fact, the silhouette hiding underneath the heavy camouflage gives me some powerful E38 vibes, which is a good sign. You can see a reinterpreted engine bonnet, with a low-slung profile, short overhangs and an impressive visual length.

The kidney grille will likely retain its sheer, imposing size. The headlights mounted on the prototypes are still the provisional ones, so we shall see the finished design of the new 7 Series eyes most probably next year. The temporary rectangular lamps actually make the 7 Series look a bit like the E31 8 Series.

Furthermore, the roofline is straight, in the good tradition of the tradition, but fairly resemblant to the icon E38 7 Series icon of the ’90s. Additionally, the way the Hofmeister kink and C-pillar area is resolved stirs good memories of the third generation of the Bavarian luxury flagship.

The rear-end appears slightly rounded off with some large L-shaped lights visible from under the cladding. It appears that the huge Bangle butt will be reinterpreted in a more streamlined architecture, with the intention of creation a fastback visual effect.

We’ll see how the design evolves, but from what we see at this point, the situation is encouraging. The proportions of the car are spot-on and will certainly render the 7 Series a whole new, dynamic appearance.

The G70/G71 7 Series is expected to be a complete revolution in terms of technology, aiming for the crown of the luxury class and redefining the standards in the segment. We expect a whole new infotainment concept to be released with the new 7 Series, as well as several breakthroughs in autonomous drive technologies. There’s also a chance to see a technology transfer from the iNEXT to the 7 Series, as well.

According to some early reports, the new 7 Series will add new PHEV powertrains and no less than three pure electric i7 models. Besides the 745e which is expected to offer more output and an improved electric range, there will also be an M Performance plug-in hybrid launching: the M750e.

Furthermore, the all-electric i7 will come in three flavors: i740 with rear-wheel drive chassis, i750 with standard xDrive traction and the range-topping i7 M60e, replacing the current V12-powered M760Li model.

Excitement starts to build up and hopefully will learn more interesting details about the G70/G71 7 Series in the next months.