The 7 Gets An Update

The seventh-generation 7 Series receives its first facelift, what BMW calls an LCI (Lifecycle Impulse) for the 2027 model year, benefiting from Neue Klasse technology and design language from the company’s iX3 and i3 models. This is a heavier refresh than we typically see from an LCI model, and it fixes on of the biggest complaints many online critics had with the pre-facelift model: its ugly face.

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This isn’t a ground-up redesign, but BMW moved around the main headlights and reshaped the crystal headlights, which now look thinner and more stately. The new design is smoother rand more cohesive than before.

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Both the gas-powered 7 Series and electric i7 models still have large kidney grilles, which are illuminated with BMW’s Iconic Glow feature, but the radars, sensors, and washer nozzles are now hidden better.

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Buyers can opt for a hand-finished BMW Individual Dual Finish paint that takes more than 75 hours to apply.

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The interior benefits from the latest Neue Klasse technology suite, including BMW Panoramic iDrive with BMW Operating System X. The pillar-to-pillar projection from the iX3 and i3 has been transplanted, but the 7 Series also adds new passenger screen.

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The rear seat delivers peak luxury with an available Executive Lounge specification and optional BMW Theater Screen. BMW has added Zoom video conferencing to the Theater Screen, which measures over 31 inches.

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The gas-powered 740 and 740 xDrive models get an upgrade under the hood; the B58 inline-six now produces 394 horsepower. A 750e PHEV model is coming in 2027 with 483 hp.

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The all-electric i7 now features BMW’s Gen6 cylindrical battery cells, improving the range to over 350 miles in the 50 xDrive and 60 xDrive variants. A new standard NACS port enables charging speeds up to 250 kW, an improvement from the previous 195 kW peak.

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I’m what you might call an “elder” millennial. We’re the kids who were born in the early-mid ’80s—not quite old enough to be Gen X, old enough to remember the days of land lines and cassette tapes. And like many of my contemporaries, I grew up riding in the back of a minivan.

Technically, I grew up riding in the back of two minivans. Both were Mopars—a late-’80s Plymouth and a 1994 Dodge—and neither was what you’d call flawless. The Voyager was fine, though it had a four-banger and no air bags, so we didn’t keep it long enough for it to fall apart on us; we upgraded to the Caravan. That one had the Mitsubishi V6, and it was kind enough to wait until it had about 100,000 miles on the odo before it really started falling apart on us. That happened just in time for me to leave for college. Guess what I drove there.

By that point, that Caravan was a hot mess, both literally and figuratively. The AC wouldn’t hold a charge, the engine leaked oil from any number of orifices and the charm of its manual windows and just-adequate V6 had long worn off. But hey, I had a car. And despite its flaws, there’s one thing I can say for that oily clunker: it never tried to hit me in the face.

Yep, that’s right. In the face. As you can see in the above clip, GM’s badge-engineered minivans of the early ’90s included a cool little design element. The trailing edges of the front doors were swept back, like the little winglets on a modern jetliner. It looked neat. It also made the top of the door much longer than the middle, where the handle was. It’s not a particularly aggressive rake, but it’s a difference of a couple of inches. You can see it from multiple angles in this retro review from our pals over at MotorWeek:

1990 Pontiac Trans Sport SE | Retro Review

It became so much of a problem that GM designed a whole new part to address the issue. It’s GM part # 10186057. Go ahead and Google it. Yep, it’s a sticker… with a printed warning that reminds passengers to be careful while shutting the door while exiting, lest they hit themselves in the face with trailing edge of the frame.

I feel compelled to point out that GM’s ad campaign for the Oldsmobile Silhouette included a boast about the company’s industrial design prowess. I believe that’s what you call irony—and I’d know, after all. Half my friends are Gen X. They invented irony; just ask ’em.

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