BMW’s 7 Series was never really about being the most luxurious or the most high-tech car in its class. It always had great tech and it was always luxurious but it always put more of an emphasis on handling than its more luxury-focused competitors. However, it seems that BMW realized that its plan wasn’t working, as the 7 Series kept losing customers to the Mercedes S-Class. So BMW made a change and now the 7 Series is so high-tech, it might be the most high-tech car Mat Watson’s ever driven.
In this new video from Carwow, Watson tests the new BMW i7 (and the 760i) to see what this new 7er is all about. And while there are some bad things to go with the good, the tech in the new 7 Series is undeniably impressive.
There are some of the more famous features, such as the 31-inch theater screen option in the back seat or the automatic power doors. However, there are some lesser known features that are equally impressive, if not more so. For instance, if you want to operate those automatically closing and opening doors, you can do so with voice commands. Simply say “Hey, BMW” and when it prompts you to speak, you just say “Open my door” and it knows which door to automatically open. You can also open all of the cars doors, and close them all through those voice commands. Additionally, there are sensors in the door that prevent it from opening into nearby objects. So you can say “Open the door as far as it can” and it will open the door as far as it can without hitting anything.
Then there are the little touchscreens in the rear door panels, which allow rear passengers to control everything about the cabin, from the entertainment, to the climate, the lighting. Sitting in the back of the new 7 Series, regardless of which kind, really does feel special, like you’re in something from the future. It’s still rough to look at from the outside, but if Watson is claiming it’s the most high-tech car he’s ever driven, he’s probably right.