If you've seen BMW's latest eighth generation 7 Series saloon, with its divisive new look, you'll know what to expect because almost everything's exactly the same with the i7. There are a few differences of course; an 'i' badge on the front grille, various decorative blue touches and of course, the conventional model's exhaust is missing here. As with the ordinary 7 Series (which is a PHEV), only a long wheelbase body style is available. And, as with that car, the main visual talking point is the huge (and optionally glowing) front grille, flanked by two-tier matrix LED headlights. The main beams sit on the lower tier. The upper tier delivers daytime running lights and indicators bejewelled with Swarovski crystals.
The cabin provides even more evidence of BMW's desire to deliver something quite different in this segment - and again, it's just as in a comparable 7 Series. Much, predictably, is borrowed from the brand's iX flagship EV; the curved display with its central infotainment monitor and instrument screen; the two-spoke steering wheel; and the crystal iDrive controller. But there clever touches too, the main one being this i7's so-called 'Interaction Bar', a glossy back-lit panel that stretches across the fascia. It reacts to inputs and what's happening as you drive - so will flash, for instance, if you get a phone call.
There's even more tech in the rear, which can be had with an 'Executive Lounge' package featuring a reclining seat with foot rest, allowing for a torso angle of up to 42.5-degrees. Once you're comfortable, you can even enjoy your own private cinema experience. The car can be fitted out with an enormous 31.3-inch 'BMW Theatre Screen' that folds into the ceiling when not in use and has built-in Amazon Fire TV. There's also a black-out screen for the rear window, touchscreens in the door panels and the option of 'seat exciters', which vibrate and pulse the seat with loud sounds from the 'Theatre Screen'. Out back., there's a big 500-litre boot.