First Look: Inside The Cabin Of The New BMW 7 Series

The Bavarian car giant just dropped the latest iteration of its iconic 7 Series and we got first access to both the petrol and all-electric versions. And while there might be several resources online that might give you all the information on its performance and specs, we jumped right into the place where we see ourselves spending most time — the rear seat. The quintessential luxe sedan to be chauffeured around in, the preferred airport transfer to some of the world’s leading hotels and the chosen daily driver for our readers around the world, the BMW 7 Series gets a 2026 refresh, after a good 3.5 years, even plusher and more opulent than its predecessor. A moment of pride too, as India becomes the first country outside Germany to locally manufacture this 7 Series.

So while we step in, let’s quickly summarise the luxurious bells and whistles.

Plush Cabin Refresh

The Executive Lounge is what BMW is calling its 'backseat experience,' with a beautiful sweeping panoramic sunroof, replete with the geometric leitmotif that is replicated through the cabin. A series of LED lights illuminate the panoramic sunroof creating a magnificent effect though the geometric motif.

At the very heart of the Executive Lounge is the 8k 31.3 inch Theatre Screen that deploys most ceremoniously at the touch of a button — through the touchpads in the armrest of the two doors.

It’s all leather, veneer, Alcantara on the interiors as BMW’s Neue Klasse design language shines through, effectively moving into a more restrained, understated direction, with metal and wood accents as well. The quilted leather seat — BMW Individual Merino Leather — reclines into a first class-style recliner, allowing you to enjoy the Theatre Screen’s multiple inbuilt apps like YouTube, Spotify and Amazon Prime.

The standout design element for me is the subtle use of glass and crystal through the cabin, juxtaposed with light elements, that can be customised effectively creating a cocoon-like space for passengers within the Executive Lounge. Glass and crystal elements also feature on the front in the start stop button and browser knob. A superior Bowers & Wilkins surround sound speaker suite complements the infotainment system. The doors open and close automatically at the touch of a single button and feature a soft close.

The BMW Panoramic Vision is an optical illusion of sorts — the driver display metamorphosed into a bar of vital information wrapping around the base of the windscreen — almost like the icons tray at the bottom of your laptop screen. Going from A-pillar to A-pillar, the information reads easily and is a visual treat.

For the first time ever, the front passenger gets a screen — the Passenger Screen — measuring 14.6 inches. The passenger in front of the screen can thereby personalise the experience and we found the user interface to be smartly designed. A fun fact, the passenger screen goes blank immediately if it senses that the driver’s eyes fall on it, to avoid distraction.

There’s a delicious element of asymmetry at the centre of this 7 Series with the 17.9 inch free-cut touchscreen that appears to float above the dashboard. AC vents are cleverly camouflaged between panels, coupled with the relative absence of hard keys, lend a cleaner, more minimalistic look to the cabin. The much-talked about BMW Panoramic iDrive System acts as a worthy interface between the car and the driver, enhancing the drive experience and safety through smart technology.

On The Outside

The iconic Glow Kidney Grille goes illuminated, a set of stunning crystal headlamps by Swarovski and a new, enlarged BMW badge on the nose characterise the cosmetic changes that one sees.

The silhouette is best described as monolithic with stylised lines along the silhouette to render it even more robust in appearance, giving the visual effect of a stretched limousine gliding on the tarmac. This sedan is resolutely designed to announce the arrival of someone important!

Options Options

In An all-electric performance model — the BMW i7 M70 — has also been released with an enhanced battery and is being touted as the most powerful 7 Series ever released, priced at Rs. 2.65 crore. The petrol version BMW 740 M Sport is priced at Rs. 1.95 crore while the fully electric variant the BMW i7 50 M Sport is priced at Rs 1.95 crore as well.