Potential owners are placing bookings right now as we speak

The 2023 BMW i7 has made its first appearance in Malaysia at one of the brand's prominent dealerships in the Klang Valley, where a pre-production left-hand drive unit was brought down by BMW Malaysia to be shown to potential owners and VIP customers during a private viewing session.

Thanks to a friend of ours who also happens to be a potential owner who was at the special preview session, we can now have a closer look at what the i7 actually looks like in the flesh. 

Here to take on the Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 which was launched last week, the BMW i7, which is essentially full-electric version of the new 7 Series, is also open for booking. The launch date is yet to be revealed though.

The variant we're looking at here is the BMW i7 xDrive60, which according to BMW, is the one that will be sold worldwide first before other variants are introduced later on. 

Powered by two electric motors, the i7 xDrive60 produces 545 PS and 745 Nm of torque, enabling it to sprint from naught to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds while hitting a top speed of 240 km/h.

The i7 also comes fitted with a 101.7-kWh lithium-ion battery that enables the electric sedan to cover up to 625 km with a fully charged battery. While AC charging takes up to 9.5 hours to charge the battery from 10% to 80%, DC fast charging does the same in just 35 minutes.

From what we can see, the exterior design is even more radical than the current 7 Series. While the illuminated front grille looks more prominent now thanks to the slimmer LED headlights, the taillights are also slimmer. Also part of the package is a set of 21-inch wheels.

While the exterior design is an acquired taste, the interior of the i7 is on a whole different level. From what we can see, there is a generous dose of what looks like crystal trim instead of the usual wood, and taking centre stage upfront is BMW's new curved display.

The door trim, seats, and the dashboard are all clad in eco-friendly high-quality material that feature a very funky and futuristic design. From what we can see, Bowers and Wilkinson audio system is also making a comeback after a long time.

The main highlight of the i7 however, is certainly the rear seat. The party piece is the 31.3-inch 8K BMW Theatre Screen, a feature that is not available in any other car in the market at the moment.

While internet connection is expected to be readily available in the cabin, the Theatre Screen comes installed with all your top streaming apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ and whatnot. 

On top of the massive screen, there are two more touch-screen displays on each rear door, on which the rear occupants can control the air-cond settings, the windows, the entertainment, the seats, and everything in between.
 

Expected to be available in four exterior colour options, word on the street is that the BMW i7 xDrive60 could be priced between RM550,000 and RM600,000, which is quite a bargain compared to its direct rival, the Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ which goes for RM698,888.

Sources familiar with the matter also hinted that there could be a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the 2023 BMW 7 Series coming our way, so watch this space for more juicy details as we draw closer to the Malaysian launch.