Tesla has long had the battery-powered premium segment to itself. Nevertheless, we all knew it was only a matter of time before the big players in the OEM space would vie for a piece of this lucrative pie. Accordingly, BMW is the latest to announce the arrival of the i7 luxury saloon – which goes on sale in 2022.

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A subtle dig?

In a press release issued by BMW this week the company called its i7 the world’s first pure-electric luxury saloon. Technically, they are right in that high-end products from Audi and Mercedes-Benz aren’t cast in the traditional three-box mould. However, we can’t help but think its statement was a subtle dig at its main rivals.

Learn about all the Mercedes-EQ models heading to SA in 2022 at this link.

Thanks to the eye-dazzling camo we can’t tell too much about the car’s design. We know that it will be roughly the same size as a 7 Series. Incidentally, the two models will be on sale, the i7 does not replace the halo luxobarge. 

We can tell that the headlamps on the test mule seem quite low-set on the facia. Bets are BMW’s designers will be a little more conservative with the kidney grille intakes. Seemingly, they won’t be nearly as large as the recently unveiled XM Concept.

A cold war

Low temps are notoriously the enemy of battery performance. Therefore, BMW is ensuring that the i7 can perform in the harshest of climes. Its test and development engineers were putting the large saloon through its paces in BMW’s Group winter test centre in Arjeplog, Sweden, close to the Arctic Circle.

BMW uses Lapland’s frozen lakes to tailor the steering, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and the interaction between friction brake and deceleration by means of energy recuperation. The car’s pure-electric drivetrain performance was also evaluated in extreme sub-zero temperatures.

Test engineers use the low-friction surface to tune the springs, dampers and various interconnected systems to ensure maximum driver feedback to match the various modes that drivers will be able to select. There’s no word on what powertrain will be employed in the BMW i7 luxury saloon as yet. However, BMW has confirmed the new EV will use its fifth-generation eDrive system. This is currently found in other all-electric models such as the iX SUV.

Watch as the BMW i7 Luxury Saloon takes to a snowy track: