Those new-found comfort levels aren’t at the expense of handling, either, as the i7 remains one of the more keen steers in the class. Its outright size and weight prevent it from ever exciting or really engaging you, but there’s pleasure and involvement to be had on a B-road in the way there isn’t in an iX, because both your backside and all of that weight are so much closer to the ground. There is rear-wheel steering, too, to help manoeuvrability at lower speeds and aid agility and stability at higher speeds. It can’t cheat physics, yet there is a pleasing heft to the variable-ratio steering that adds to the overall dynamic package, which brings with it plenty of grip and predictability.
It won’t surprise you to hear, given that the i7 develops 536bhp and has a 0-62mph time of 4.7sec, that this is a very quick car, too. But then so are many other electric cars. Pace is not what the i7 is all about; what matters here is how it’s delivered. Much like the rest of the car, it’s done in a quiet and effortless way that remains entirely in keeping with the rest of the dynamic character. A soothing car to drive and most likely be driven in. One-pedal driving is easily achievable when you select ‘B’ mode from the gear selector on the centre tunnel. On a cool, wet day in Denmark, we were being shown an indicated total range of 277 miles.
The only thing to even slightly spoil the calm quiet of the cabin is some wind noise around the door mirrors and pillars. It will be interesting to see BMW fits more aerodynamic cameras in place of the mirrors to reduce or get rid of that noise and further elevate this car’s tech.
A bit of wind noise, some challenging looks and a rather eyewatering price of around £138,000 as tested for our car, fitted as it was with so many options that if we listed them all you would still be reading this review for a few paragraphs more. Those are the only real downsides to what is a seriously impressive luxury saloon.