New BMW 7 Series facelift could bid farewell to that massive grille

BMW is about to launch its hotly anticipated range of Neue Klasse models, but it hasn’t forgotten about its existing line-up, with its 7 Series flagship saloon all set for a mid-life refresh. 

This is the first time we’ve caught the updated 7 Series testing, and the timing seems about right, given that the current seventh-generation G70 model arrived in 2022. With this in mind, we expect the updated version to be revealed towards the end of this year, before going on sale in 2026. 

Unlike the prototype of the upcoming facelifted 5 Series we spotted testing recently, it appears the 7 Series (and therefore the all-electric i7) won’t get the same Neue Klasse-inspired design language with a full-width upper grille extending into the headlights. Although there’s still a lot of camouflage on the model pictured here, it looks as if the 7 Series will retain its split-headlight arrangement, along with what looks like a reshaped, smaller kidney grille shape. 

The profile of the 7 Series will remain big and blocky, but we expect the car to be available with a new selection of alloy wheels. There’s also more camouflage to the rear of the car in these shots, overlapping the rear lights, which suggests even more tweaks are in store here. 

WIth this being the flagship limousine in BMW’s range and having the likes of the Audi A8 and soon-to-be revamped Mercedes S-Class to deal with, the interior of the updated 7 Series will be at the leading edge of BMW’s technological capabilities. We expect to see the firm’s new ‘Panoramic Vision’ replace the current twin-screen set-up with a full-width display that’ll be first seen on the production version of the Vision Neue Klasse X SUV. The 31-inch fold-down display for rear passengers will probably be carried over, as will the individual touchscreen controls on the rear doors.  

The twin exhaust tips on the outer edge of the bumper of the car in these shots show that this is a petrol-powered version, but information on the powertrains for the updated 7 Series and the i7 haven’t been revealed yet. However, we don’t expect to see significant changes here, with petrol, plug-in hybrid and the i7’s all-electric offerings maintained. 

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