The battle in the fullsize luxury sedan segment is heating up following the launch of the new Mercedes S-Class in both Benz and long-wheelbase Maybach version and the more recent arrival of a facelifted Audi A8. Lexus has also given its LS a nip and tuck while Genesis is putting the finishing touches on the all-new G90.
Of course, BMW isn’t staying on the sidelines as it too is preparing to revamp its flagship model. The new 7 Series will be out sometime next year, and in the meantime, there’s still a lot of testing that needs to be done to iron out any kinks before pressing the start button on the assembly line. While all of the rival models mentioned above have or will take the evolutionary route, the G70 will be more along the lines of a revolution.
In case you still had doubts about the much-debated split headlights, one of the prototypes spotted at the Nürburgring clearly shows a thin strip of LEDs serving as the daytime running lights positioned just below the outline of the hood. The main cluster is mounted lower and doesn’t seem to be part of the same housing as the DRLs.
BMW is far from being the first to have this unusual headlight arrangement, which was pioneered in modern times by the Citroën C4 Picasso back in 2013. Since then, many other models have adopted a similar layout, but we are still somewhat surprised the next-gen 7er will adopt this look. We will see the quirky lights at the end of the month when the XM plug-in hybrid SUV is going to be unveiled.
Headlights aside, we can also observe the new Bavarian range topper will still have a large grille without adopting the controversial kidneys of the M3, M4, i4, and iX. The side profile shows flush door handles to mirror recent BMW products, while the rear gives us the impression the overhauled 7 Series will have slim LED taillights. However, it could be that the camouflage is playing tricks on us.
Much like the exterior will represent a great departure from the outgoing model, so will the cabin by adopting the iDrive 8 with the side-by-side curved screen layout with a “floating” effect. Expect the touchscreen infotainment to swallow most of the conventional controls to unclutter the dashboard in a bid to demonstrate that less is indeed more.
As you would expect from a car sitting at the very top of the range, the 7 Series will be loaded with cutting-edge tech, including a level 3 semi-autonomous driving system. BMW’s latest developments in terms of combustion engines are expected to usher in revamped inline-six and V8 engines, plus a fully electric i7 said to have a trio of motors.
The 7 Series will take a page out of Rolls-Royce’s book by offering Phantom-esque fully automatic doors, soft-closing doors, and other features typically found only in ultra-high-end vehicles.
If our sources are accurate, the G70 will enter production in July 2022, which should mean BMW plans to host the world premiere either in the spring or early summer.
[Source: CarSpyMedia / YouTube]
