7 Series to remain BMW’s technology leader

BMW has launched its latest G70-generation 7 Series in Australia, the flagship limousine range including the debut of an all-electric 7er dubbed i7, alongside myriad other advanced technologies that will – as they have since 1977 – soon trickle their way down the portfolio into more affordable models.

However, with SUVs now taking development precedence for the majority of car companies worldwide, the question of how long upper large sedans like the 7 Series can maintain their position as innovation leaders is one that looms large.

BMW has already demonstrated a move toward pioneering technologies elsewhere, in models such as its recently debuted iX. Such shifts in the advancement of new-to-market ideas and technologies raises significant questions around validity of the 7 Series program – especially given the inviolable shift toward sport utility vehicles.

Speaking to GoAuto at the local launch of the 7 Series, BMW Australia head of product planning Brendan Michel said with confidence that he was certain the 7 Series would remain at the pinnacle of technological development for the brand and serve as a rolling showcase of its engineering advancements.

“Looking back, and even though we have the 8 Series and iX in the market, I think the communication is still very strong around the fact that the 7 Series will remain our flagship car, and one which highlights all the latest technology and safety features we will bring to market,” he explained.

“The 7 Series has always been the car that showcases new technologies, and then those technology tend to filter down throughout the rest of the range, which is fantastic for our customers. In that way, the 7 Series serves an important role in helping new technologies become more ‘mainstream’.

“And it is my understanding that the 7 Series will continue to be our flagship in this manner, even if there has been a very big shift toward SUVs over the past six or seven years. Locally, for example, around 60 per cent of our volume is from the X (SUV) family, but that doesn’t take away from the point that the 7 Series is still a very important car.”

Mr Michel said that BMW was still “heavily invested” in portraying the 7 Series as an engineering forebear for other models in the range, and that at times throughout the COVID-19 pandemic had even gone as far as shifting resources from elsewhere to expedite the 7 Series program.

“The level of engineering that has gone into the new 7 Series – especially as the first fully electric limousine in the i7 – probably highlights our commitment in this area. That is something BMW has been very focused on,” Mr Michel told GoAuto.

“Globally, we still have a lot of people coming into our showrooms and buying a new 7 Series … and I think part of that is because for seven generations now it has been a halo for the brand.

“And the 7 Series is still a technology showcase – and 7 Series buyers appreciate that – even if there is more choice now (with SUVs), and we’re proving there is a strong market for that as well.

“But internally, the focus on the 7 Series is still prioritised,” he continued.

“Even when there were storm clouds on the horizon in regards to semiconductor and wiring harness restrictions and so forth, the team in Munich prioritised the program, and pulled out all the stops to make sure that development of the 7 Series was not affected.

“We didn’t want to impact the delivery process for our customers, and even if that meant they have had to sacrifice other product lines to make this one right.”

Although that might seem somewhat shortsighted, Mr Michel was quick to point out how strategically important such a decision is for the remainder of the BMW portfolio.

“It’s a very important move, because we will see these technologies move quickly into the rest of the range, somewhere over the next 18 to 36 months, and there will be even more to come in due course, but we can’t talk about that just yet,” he grinned.

BMW 7 Series timeline:

1977 (E23): The first 7 Series is launched and introduces anti-lock brakes to the BMW range. Approximately 285,000 units are produced between 1977 and 1986 with engine outputs ranging from 127kW to 188kW.

1986 (E32): BMW’s second-generation 7 Series introduces Xenon headlights to the world, and the first German V12 engine. Approximately 311,000 examples are produced with power figures of between 140kW and 224kW.

1994 (E38): Technology offerings in the third-generation 7 Series were groundbreaking at the time and included the first satellite navigation system with a moving map. Some 328,000 examples were produced from 1994 to 2001 with power outputs ranging between 107kW and 243kW.

2001 (E65/E66): It is hard to believe the first generation of iDrive was introduced in the 7 Series some 22 years ago. BMW produced around 344,000 examples of its fourth-gen limousine between 2001 and 2008, with outputs ranging from 163kW to 274kW.

2008 (F01/F02): Styling of the ‘Bangle era’ 7 Series was controversial, but the model was BMW’s most popular yet – and the first to debut head-up display. From 2008 to 2015 approximately 374,000 examples were produced. Power outputs ranged from 183kW to an astonishing 406kW – more than three times that of the original E23.

2015 (G11/G12): Remote-control parking and plug-in hybrid technology were just two of the technologies debuted with the sixth-generation 7 Series. Running from 2015 to 2022, production totaled 350,000 examples, while power figures ranged from 198kW through to a whopping 455kW.

2022 (G70): With hybrid petrol and fully electric power, a larger Rolls-Royce inspired body and technologies that would have seemed unfathomable in 1977, the seventh-generation 7 Series is now on deck. Locally, the range will offer power outputs of between 280kW and 400kW, the latter with a 0-100km/h time of just 4.7 seconds.