New BMW 7 Series Coming Soon: Specs, price and release info
BMW has updated its luxury saloon ready to take on the new Mercedes S-Class
Words by: Catherine Kent
Published on 15 May 2026 | 0 min read
BMW is well and truly in its ‘Neue Klasse’ era. The iX3 started the revolution with next-generation technology including improved batteries and a whole new digital interface. Next up the all-new i3 had its global unveiling and now BMW is busy incorporating its new look and tech into the rest of its models. The 7 Series is the latest BMW to get the Neue Klasse treatment with which it gains a host of upgrade including new tech, more luxury features and more range for i7 models.
- The 7 Series is BWM’s flagship saloon and the pinnacle of its luxury offering
- This new version gains Neue Klasse looks, extensive personalisation options, BMW’s new Panoramic iDrive system and a passenger screen
- The new i7 will have a range of up to 452 miles
- Range topping i7 models pack 680 horsepower
- Launching from September 2026
- Don’t expect change from £100,000
Design and models available
From the outside the design of the 7 Series remains brutish. It’s so rare to see a 7 Series on the road, the changes almost go unnoticed, but for those with a keen eye BMW has tweaked the kidney grille and the thin strip of LED headlights at the front to give the car a blunter, more squared-off nose. At the back the rear lights have been stretched out so they now wrap almost entirely around the boot lid.
To help make your 7 Series stand out the BWM Individual offers a choice of 130 paint finishes with two-tone combinations facilitating over 500 permutations. For the first time there will be a bespoke dual-finish colourway featuring a matt finish on the lower body and hand-applied metallic finish on the upper section, with a hand-drawn line running along the length of the body. This process takes 20 specialists over three days to achieve with around half the work carried out manually.
The personalisation options continue with an array of wheel designs containing around 70 per cent recycled aluminium. To reduce carbon dioxide emissions further, BMW says it has used a combination of recycled materials, renewable energy and the latest generation of battery cells in the manufacturing of the 7 Series. Meanwhile M Performance models get sportier elements with larger air intakes and air curtains, smoke-black crystal headlights and high-gloss back mirrors.
Interior and tech
Inside the changes are much more substantial. BMW has integrated its latest Android-powered Operating System X software to support the new Panoramic iDrive set-up. This consists of a head-up driver display with customisable information projected along the length of the windscreen. There is of course also a large central touch-screen too, and BMW’s latest AI assistant which can understand conversational commands and features built-in Amazon Alexa+. The layout is just like you’ll find in the iX3, only the 7 Series gains an additional entertainment screen for the front passenger.
The interior personalisation options are even more extensive than the exterior with around 700 possible combinations of materials ranging from wooden inserts, leather upholstery and Alcantara headlining. Luxury features include crystal-glass controls, four-zone climate control, a panoramic roof, a Bowers & Wilkins sound system and electrically adjustable seats with heating and massage function.
The opulence can be further increased with extras like a whopping 31.3-inch theatre screen, roof illuminations, or by adding the Executive Lounge option with leg rests in the seat behind the front passenger, reclining back rests and a quilted, heated armrest with glass holder and wireless phone charging.
Engines and batteries/range
Price and release
What other cars from BMW are due this year?
What other upcoming cars will this compete with?
