German luxury automaker BMW will introduce the i7 2027 at the Beijing Auto Show in China on 22/4. The i7 2027 is a mid-cycle refresh, focusing on technology. A key highlight of the upgraded i7 is its new battery pack, developed in collaboration with Rimac Technology.

The new design of the BMW i7 2027 revealed. Photo: BMW

Rimac Technology maintains its independence despite its automotive division merging with Bugatti. The Croatian company partnered with BMW to integrate Bugatti's latest Gen6 cylindrical cells—which offer a 20% increase in volumetric energy density compared to previous prismatic cells found in the iX3 and i3—into the i7's existing Gen5 modular design framework.

This upgrade not only extends the operating range beyond the current maximum of 624 km but also enables faster DC charging, starting from 195 kW. However, it remains unclear whether the new i7 will utilize the 800V electric architecture of the iX3 and i3—which supports charging up to 400 kW—or retain its 400V system. The i7's new battery will be assembled in Croatia before being shipped to BMW's Dingolfing plant.

The new battery will be part of a series of enhancements for the G70 Series 7 lineup. The luxury sedan's interior is inspired by the iX3 and i3, featuring an iDrive Panoramic display spanning the entire dashboard and a parallelogram-shaped infotainment screen.

Buyers of the Series 7 will have options for six-cylinder engines, V8 engines, or electric powertrains. The 3-liter inline six-cylinder gasoline engine produces either 285 horsepower or 399 horsepower; these are the first two gasoline engine variants for the Series 7. Meanwhile, the pure electric i7 is equipped with a 112,5 kWh battery, though its operating range has not yet been announced.

The Beijing Auto Show in China runs from 24/4-3/5.

Minh Vu