BMW has launched its newest G70-generation 7 Collection in Australia, the flagship limousine vary together with the debut of an all-electric 7er dubbed i7, alongside myriad different superior applied sciences that can – as they’ve since 1977 – quickly trickle their manner down the portfolio into extra inexpensive fashions.
Nevertheless, with SUVs now taking growth priority for almost all of automotive corporations worldwide, the query of how lengthy higher giant sedans just like the 7 Collection can keep their place as innovation leaders is one which looms giant.
BMW has already demonstrated a transfer towards pioneering applied sciences elsewhere, in fashions akin to its just lately debuted iX. Such shifts within the development of new-to-market concepts and applied sciences raises important questions round validity of the 7 Collection program – particularly given the inviolable shift towards sport utility automobiles.
Talking to GoAuto on the native launch of the 7 Collection, BMW Australia head of product planning Brendan Michel stated with confidence that he was sure the 7 Collection would stay on the pinnacle of technological growth for the model and function a rolling showcase of its engineering developments.
“Trying again, and despite the fact that we have now the 8 Collection and iX available in the market, I believe the communication remains to be very sturdy round the truth that the 7 Collection will stay our flagship automotive, and one which highlights all the most recent know-how and security options we are going to carry to market,” he defined.
“The 7 Collection has at all times been the automotive that showcases new applied sciences, after which these know-how are inclined to filter down all through the remainder of the vary, which is unbelievable for our clients. In that manner, the 7 Collection serves an essential position in serving to new applied sciences grow to be extra ‘mainstream’.
“And it’s my understanding that the 7 Collection will proceed to be our flagship on this method, even when there was a really huge shift towards SUVs over the previous six or seven years. Regionally, for instance, round 60 per cent of our quantity is from the X (SUV) household, however that doesn’t take away from the purpose that the 7 Collection remains to be a vital automotive.”
Mr Michel stated that BMW was nonetheless “closely invested” in portraying the 7 Collection as an engineering forebear for different fashions within the vary, and that at occasions all through the COVID-19 pandemic had even gone so far as shifting sources from elsewhere to expedite the 7 Collection program.
“The extent of engineering that has gone into the brand new 7 Collection – particularly as the primary totally electrical limousine within the i7 – in all probability highlights our dedication on this space. That’s one thing BMW has been very centered on,” Mr Michel instructed GoAuto.
“Globally, we nonetheless have lots of people coming into our showrooms and shopping for a brand new 7 Collection … and I believe a part of that’s as a result of for seven generations now it has been a halo for the model.
“And the 7 Collection remains to be a know-how showcase – and seven Collection consumers admire that – even when there may be extra alternative now (with SUVs), and we’re proving there’s a sturdy marketplace for that as nicely.
“However internally, the give attention to the 7 Collection remains to be prioritised,” he continued.
“Even when there have been storm clouds on the horizon with reference to semiconductor and wiring harness restrictions and so forth, the staff in Munich prioritised this system, and pulled out all of the stops to make it possible for growth of the 7 Collection was not affected.
“We didn’t wish to influence the supply course of for our clients, and even when that meant they’ve needed to sacrifice different product traces to make this one proper.”
Though that may appear considerably shortsighted, Mr Michel was fast to level out how strategically essential such a call is for the rest of the BMW portfolio.
“It’s a vital transfer, as a result of we are going to see these applied sciences transfer rapidly into the remainder of the vary, someplace over the following 18 to 36 months, and there might be much more to return sooner or later, however we are able to’t speak about that simply but,” he grinned.
BMW 7 Collection timeline:
1977 (E23): The primary 7 Collection is launched and introduces anti-lock brakes to the BMW vary. Roughly 285,000 models are produced between 1977 and 1986 with engine outputs starting from 127kW to 188kW.
1986 (E32): BMW’s second-generation 7 Collection introduces Xenon headlights to the world, and the primary German V12 engine. Roughly 311,000 examples are produced with energy figures of between 140kW and 224kW.
1994 (E38): Know-how choices within the third-generation 7 Collection have been groundbreaking on the time and included the primary satellite tv for pc navigation system with a transferring map. Some 328,000 examples have been produced from 1994 to 2001 with energy outputs ranging between 107kW and 243kW.
2001 (E65/E66): It’s exhausting to imagine the primary technology of iDrive was launched within the 7 Collection some 22 years in the past. BMW produced round 344,000 examples of its fourth-gen limousine between 2001 and 2008, with outputs starting from 163kW to 274kW.
2008 (F01/F02): Styling of the ‘Bangle period’ 7 Collection was controversial, however the mannequin was BMW’s hottest but – and the primary to debut head-up show. From 2008 to 2015 roughly 374,000 examples have been produced. Energy outputs ranged from 183kW to an astonishing 406kW – greater than thrice that of the unique E23.
2015 (G11/G12): Distant-control parking and plug-in hybrid know-how have been simply two of the applied sciences debuted with the sixth-generation 7 Collection. Working from 2015 to 2022, manufacturing totaled 350,000 examples, whereas energy figures ranged from 198kW by to a whopping 455kW.
2022 (G70): With hybrid petrol and totally electrical energy, a bigger Rolls-Royce impressed physique and applied sciences that may have appeared unfathomable in 1977, the seventh-generation 7 Collection is now on deck. Regionally, the vary will provide energy outputs of between 280kW and 400kW, the latter with a 0-100km/h time of simply 4.7 seconds.
