GREEN IS GOOD

BMW'S NEWLY CONSERVATIVE ENGINEERING APPROACH TO EVS TURNS OUT A SEDAN THAT PURPOSEECLIPSES BENZ'S BUILT ELECTRIC FLAGSHIP.

- JOEY CAPPARELLA 

GIVEN BMW'S TRAJECTORY, it's only logical that the brand's latest flagship is a three-ton behemoth with a movie-theater screen and a hands-free driving mode. But we're not wringing our hands over this couchification, because a 7-series doesn't claim to be a sports sedan. Plus, if you want a sporty BMW, you can still get an M2 [see "Strong Medicine," page 28]. The 7-series is the Bavarians' Mercedes S-class fighter, and it has often struggled to find footing against its rival, which has come to define the term "flagship sedan." Could battery propulsion offer the opportunity to turn the tide?

The two automakers' divergent approaches to EVs have already shifted traditional roles. Mercedes, typically sober and conservative, has gone all science fiction with its stand-alone EQ blob-shaped electric models. BMW, meanwhile, after retiring the carbon-fiber-intensive i3 and 18, appears to be moving away from the strategy of giving EVs dedicated platforms. So, the battery-powered i7 shares its body, underpinnings, and platform with the latest-generation gas-powered 7-series.

While the spaceship-like Mercedes EQS hatchback never stops reminding you that you're motoring on electrons, the i7's conventional three-box sedan shape is innocuously familiar. That's not to say inconspicuous. The blunt front end incorporates enough discordant styling elements to make the old Bangle-designed 7-series look conservative. Bizarre split headlights and a massive kidney grille combine with a slab-sided profile and slim taillights for a less-than cohesive look. Still, our test car garnered lots of looks, especially in its optional $5000 matte gray paint, and you can't deny the i7's Rolls-Royce-caliber presence.