All-new BMW 7 Series makes its debut in Singapore

SINGAPORE - BMW has announced the arrival of its all-new seventh-generation 7 Series luxury limo, with the car being presented to the media at a special preview event on Oct 11 before being officially launched to customers at the end of the month.

As detailed in our overseas launch story in April this year, the new 7 Series has been completely redesigned on a new platform, and will have electrification across its range. The car will be offered in mild-hybrid 735i guise, as well as the full-electric i7 version, which was first previewed here at the BMW i Pavilion showcase in September, with other engines expected to arrive later on.

Prices start at $564,888 inclusive of COE for the 735i Pure Excellence trim, while the 735i M Sport Pro, which gets a sportier front bumper treatment and blacked out grille, among other styling enhancements, goes for $594,888 with COE, with both cars incurring a VES C2 surcharge of $25,000. The electric i7 xDrive60 meanwhile will cost $612,888 inclusive of COE and a VES A2 rebate of $15,000.

Powering the 735i is a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline six with a mild hybrid setup that puts out a total system output of 272hp and 400Nm of torque, enabling it to go from 0-100km/h in 6.7 seconds.

The i7 meanwhile has two electric motors, one at each axle, and combined they put out a total of 544hp and 745Nm of torque, allowing it to go from 0-100km/h in 4.7 seconds. BMW also adds that the i7 offers a range of ‘up to’ 625km when fully charged. 

The stacked headlight design that flanks the giant BMW kidney grille on either side incorporates Swarovski crystals, arranged in L-shapes and backed by LEDs, in the sidelights and daytime running lights. The headlights themselves feature adaptive LEDs with matrix high beams, and the BMW Selective Beam non-dazzling high beam assistant.

The interior of the new 7 Series has also been refocused for a highly digital experience. The large BMW Curved Display, already seen on the likes of the iX and i4, makes its presence here on the new 7 Series as well, with the 12.3-inch driver display and 14.9-inch touchscreen control panel forming up into one huge screen. 

But a new feature that’s debuting on the 7 Series is the Interaction Bar, which is a digitalised row of buttons set behind a crystallised light display that stretches across the dashboard, and incorporates functions ranging from switching on the lights to opening the doors.

Another new feature is the Touch Command control unit, which are incorporated into the rear doors, and allows rear passengers to control a whole host of functions, including entertainment, communication, climate and lighting controls, seat comfort features, as well as operating the window blinds.

However, the gigantic 31.3-inch BMW Theatre Screen, which folds down from the roof and offers Amazon Fire TV integration, will only be offered in Singapore cars starting from next year.

The rear passenger seats can be optioned with reclining lounge seats with massage functions, as well as unique Verganza upholstery which BMW says is made from sustainable non-animal source materials. The seats themselves come standard with BMW Individual Merino leather, and active seat ventilation with optimised cooling functions.

For the car’s launch in Singapore, BMW will be offering exclusive launch features for the 7 Series, including the choice of BMW Individual two-tone paint finishes, unique wheel designs, and the Sky Lounge panoramic glass sunroof. 

Along with the new 7 Series, BMW also announced the introduction of the BMW Excellence Club. Lars Nielsen, Managing Director of BMW Group Asia, explains that. “all new BMW luxury sedan and SUV customers will also automatically join the BMW Excellence Club.

In addition to ongoing exclusive access to cultural, gastronomy and international driving events, customers will also enjoy free airport transfers and special care packages for their vehicles for the first three years.”

Finally, BMW will also be offering all new customers the BMW Service Inclusive Plus, which includes 5 year/200,000km warranty (whichever comes first).

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This article was first published in CarBuyer.