Marque goes all-electric

BMW New Zealand will introduce its first fully electric BMW i7 xDrive 60 sedan later this year.

The marque says the i7 will combine driving pleasure, long-distance comfort and a high-tech digital experience with new styling. 

Its 101.7kWh battery and two electric motors can produce 400kW of power and 745Nm of torque, giving the i7 a range of between 590-625km. 

The new sedan is bigger than previous 7 series models with its long wheelbase now standard. At 3215mm, it is 5mm longer than the sixth-generation long wheelbase while overall vehicle length, width and height has increased by 130mm, 48mm and 51mm respectively.

The chassis has undergone a comprehensive upgrade and includes two-axle air suspension and adaptive damping as standard.

The car is packed with technology with new-generation sensors, an enhanced software stack and a powerful computing platform added to its active safety technologies.   
 
Other features include new front-end styling with headlight units split into two sections, automatic opening and closing doors, a BMW Interaction Bar on the dash featuring decorative interior lighting and imperceptible air vents and a high proportion of natural and recycled materials.

The BMW i7 xDrive60 will be priced from $276,900, which includes GST but excludes on-road costs.