The BMW 7 Series facelift packs a notable amount of new content into what is technically a mid-cycle refresh. The biggest mechanical change is in the i7: the battery grows by 10 kWh to 112.5 kWh, while the architecture stays at 400 volts with a 250 kW DC charging ceiling and 29 minutes from 10 to 80 percent. That is the practical ceiling for this generation, since BMW has not moved to 800-volt infrastructure here. Combustion variants include a rear-wheel-drive 6-cylinder in select markets, and the 740 xDrive at the core of the lineup, running a 3-liter inline-6 with 400 horsepower and 5.1 seconds to 100 km/h. The M760e plug-in hybrid leads the range at 571 horsepower and 4.3 seconds. Pricing starts at 120,000 euros; a fully loaded car can push past 200,000 euros.
The interior overhaul is the more consequential update. BMW has carried over the Neue Klasse cockpit concept from the iX3 and i3, bringing the infotainment display closer to the driver and placing the Panoramic Vision instrument strip further away, at roughly the same focal depth as the road. The rationale is that speed and navigation data sit in the driver's long-range focus rather than demanding a shift between near and far vision. Autogefühl's Thomas found the layout genuinely useful in practice, despite the loss of physical climate dials. The updated rear theater screen now has two years of built-in internet connectivity and streams YouTube directly, removing the previous dependence on an external streaming stick. The 36-speaker Bowers and Wilkins system is newly developed, though this reviewer placed it below the Burmester installations in Mercedes and Porsche products in terms of overall integration. The M760e PHEV, worth noting, carries just 18.7 kWh of battery capacity and charges on AC only, a constraint that feels thin at its price point.
Where the 7 Series draws a clear line against the recently updated Mercedes S-Class is rear seat ergonomics. The executive package allows the front passenger seat to travel far enough forward that a 1.89-meter (6-foot-2) occupant in the back can fully extend their legs, something the longer-wheelbase Maybach does not allow. The rear blind controls remain a minor frustration: raising the electric shade requires navigating a touchscreen rather than the window button that handles the same job in the S-Class. On other counts, the 7 has meaningful advantages: seat comfort and support in both rows is rated above the S-Class, rear-axle steering is available as an option, and automatic electric doors that close when the brake pedal is pressed are a genuine convenience feature. The exterior redesign softens the previous generation's assertive front end, with a revised double-kidney grille that reads as more composed without fully retreating from presence.
Bottom line: If you spend significant time in the rear of luxury cars, the 7 Series has quietly become the more comfortable place to sit than the S-Class. The i7's battery gain is real. The charging speed holding at 400 volts is the honest concession that keeps this a facelift rather than a platform change, and anyone buying primarily for the electric drivetrain should weigh that against the competition.