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.
Bu hikaye Car and Driver dergisinin June 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Car and Driver dergisinin June 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
The Best Odds
SOMETIMES-NOT OFTEN, BUT sometimes-car manufacturers create something semi-wondrous that is also borderline irrational and three-quarters inexplicable to their own marketing types.
Mileage Booster
Kia Carnival Hybrid HIGHS: Big mpg bump, no CVT weirdness, solid ride and handling. LOWS: Shared HVAC and audio controls, second-row loungers can't be removed, changing brake-pedal feel.
Medium Spicy
Kia K4 GT-Line Turbo HIGHS: Lengthy list of features, spacious interior, generous trunk. LOWS: Uncomfortably flat seats, rivals are quicker, only modest grip.
Drivelines
HORACIO PAGANI IS A visionary designer and self-taught engineer.
Suspensions of Disbelief
It's easy to say a vehicle rides well but much more difficult to explain the nuanced implications of that highly subjective statement.
PUMPED-UP KICKS
NISSAN ISN'T SHY about experimenting with its subcompact of ferings. In the recent past, it briefly gave us the adorable Cube, seemingly designed by Hello Kitty, followed by the frog-eyed Juke that somehow spawned a six-figure R-badged super-SUV in other markets.
THE ALFA ROMEO GIULIA QUADRIFOGLIO. THE BMW M3 COMPETITION. AND THE CADILLAC CT4-VBLACKWING HEAD SOUTH ONA ROAD TRIP TO FIND OUT WHICH ONE BEST DELIVERS ON THE SPORTS-SEDAN PROMISE.
One of us, gassing up the 2025 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing, says, \"No, we drove from Michigan.
SINCE WE APPRECIATE GREAT TALENT IN ALL ITS FORMS, WE ALSO HONOR THE 10BEST TRUCKS, SUVS, AND VANS. INCLUDING ONE WINNER WITH LITERAL BUZZ.
THE DISCUSSION AROUND this year's 10Best Trucks competition had some editors wishing the award were called 12Best.
OUR VERSION OF A 2024 AUTOMOTIVE AWARDS SHOW (SOMETIMES HUMOROUS, SOMETIMES NOT).
America's fastest senior citizen made the save of the year when his Funny Car's engine exploded at Virginia Motorsports Park.
"A ROMANCE THAT BUILDS WITH SPECTACULAR PASSION. THE LONGER YOU DRIVE IT, THE BETTER IT GETS."
When the history of the sports sedan is written, the late-narrative plot twist that few would have seen coming is the emergence of CadillacCadillac!-as the keeper of the flame. And yet, that's exactly what's happened.
