2023 BMW i7 xDrive60 FULL Review, Monolithic Luxury is HERE

Meet the groundbreaking 2023 BMW i7 xDrive60. It shatters the egg shape norm with a traditional sedan shape and truly may be the only FULL Luxury EV sedan. The i7 is incredibly quiet inside, but also properly combines the right amount of power with an excessively (good) amount of modern art-deco styling and cutting-edge tech.⠀

The i7 uses a similar electric powertrain setup as the brand’s new EV SUV, the iX, with two electric motors one driving each axle making a combined 536 horsepower. All-wheel drive is standard and acceleration is brisk for such a large vehicle. In our testing, the i7 xDrive60 hit 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. Handling is surprisingly agile for a large sedan but still, the i7 won’t attract buyers looking for sports-sedan handling.

Those seeking a comfortable and luxurious experience will find much to like and during our first test drive, we noted its particularly smooth ride and hushed cabin. If you’d prefer a gasoline-powered 7-series, one is still available; we review that model separately.

Two electric motors powered by a 101.7kWh battery pack making 536HP and 549 lb-ft of torque capable of 0-60 in 4.5sec with a 155MPH TopSpeed. I got a max reading of 308 miles of range with up to 200kw charging speeds.

Highs:

• -The interior silence is one of the closest things to a Rolls Royce under $200k. For weighing around 6,000 lbs, it doesn’t drive like a boat thanks to rear steering, active anti-roll bars, and adaptive air suspension.
• -Hey, I disliked the styling at first too and I wouldn’t call it pretty still. But boy does it have a presence and many elements have found soft spots in my heart.
• -Build quality is top-notch and there are true gems amongst the dazzling amount of tech. (Ambient lighting, huge HUD, Driver Assist Pro, Gesture control)

Lows:

• -While auto-closing doors are great once in the car, BMW needs to figure out how to better implement the whole process, it feels unfinished, especially when auto-opening.
• -iDrive 8 takes TIME to get used to. Tip: just use the physical control wheel/ gesture controls and you’ll be fine.
• -Visibility was not good. Massive pillars and huge headrests are one thing, but the lack of a digital rear mirror option in Theater mode is a major oversight.

The EPA estimates that the i7 should deliver up to 87 MPGe city and 92 MPGe highway. We haven’t had a chance to test the i7 on our 75-mph highway fuel economy test route, but once we do, we’ll update this story with test results. For more information about the i7’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.