The 2027 BMW 7 Series Adds Neue Klasse Design, But Is It a Peek Into the Next X7 SUV?
The 7 Series is Adopting the Neue Klasse design language first seen on the iX3. But will the tech approach translate to the next redesign of BMW’s next top-end full-size SUV?
My first exposure to BMW wasn’t my own car; it was aboard my father’s 5 Series. He worked hard to earn that sedan, and yet he let me drive it—under strict supervision. Much later, one of the first test cars I reviewed was a BMW M5. You can understand, then, that I have a soft spot for the brand.
But, objectively, I also believe BMW holds a relatively unique position in the luxury market. Because, in contrast to, say, Toyota, BMW remains relatively small (though it was the top-selling luxury car brand last year), they’re darn near boutique and that should allow them to lead an industry that is already pretty innovative.
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks. Additionally, I was BMW’s guest for this first look, but impressions and opinions are my own.
Innovation Is BMW’s Roadmap
Cutting-edge innovation is the foundation of the latest BMW, the new 7 Series, which just debuted to several hundred partygoers (including BMW owners) at New York’s Grand Central Station, and which will go on sale this fall. With this redesign, BMW is being a bit more daring. But I’m not talking just about the car’s exterior; if anything, the exterior of the 2027 7 Series sedan looks more evolved than redesigned. Inside, though, the 7 Series carries the brand’s newest tech, what BMW has dubbed Neue Klasse, and a fresh design language that began with the electric iX3.
After getting some time with the car at the event, and what’s less obvious from the photos on this page, is that BMW is revolutionizing in-car technology. That can also mean its even more digitized digs are risky, perhaps polarizing, and some buyers will love the experience while others may find it overwhelming.
That said, I bet that one kind of buyer is going to want everything the 7 Series offers: the tech-forward fan who wants every luxury the company offers, both in the luxury sedan and in the X7 3-row SUV. With the X7 SUV outselling the 7 Series sedan two to one, I can imagine executive fleets, celebrities and families with tech-entrenched teens finding favor in the Neue Klasse.
So, what’s this newly redesigned model all about?
BMW’s Cinema Lounge
Pile into the back of the new 7 Series, as I did during the debut, and you’re first wowed by the airline-style recliners that happen to be exceptionally comfortable. So far, so not revolutionary. You can control these perches via a touchpad on the doors, and the doors swivel open on approach, too, which was a nifty trick during the presentation.
But the influencer crowd partying in the backseats of the 7 were more wowed by the magical, cabin-spanning 31.3-inch touchscreen display that hinges down from beneath the “Sky lounge” panoramic glass ceiling. That roof incorporates electrochromic technology that becomes opaque to prevent the sun from washing out the ultra-crisp 8K resolution of that massive TV. Sunshades also deploy to black out the rear door glass and backlight. Never fear: The driver can see behind the car, thanks to a digital rearview mirror that pairs with a rearview camera.
Not that backseat passengers will be focused on what the driver’s up to. They can focus on the theater experience, which is supported by a Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System powering 36 speakers. Now imagine chauffeuring your kids to school with such a system in the X7 instead, and you might have to pry them loose from the seats.
The 2027 BMW 7 Series Rear Seats Are Built for Business and Pleasure
During the bash, I watched as someone in the second row of the 7 set up a Zoom call. No, they hadn’t scheduled a meeting; nobody dialed in. Instead, this person used the camera trained on them like a mirror to adjust their makeup. So, it’s handy for that, but also for actually live-streaming a conference or meeting. And the Cinema Lounge system comes with four years of service and the ability to download apps directly to the car, and you can, of course, pair Bluetooth headsets and game controllers.
While BMW officials didn’t say overtly that this precise system will debut in the next X7, which they coyly didn’t deny (or confirm) goes into production next year as a 2028 model, Michael Keller, Vice President Product Management Americas, confirmed “that the use case of entertainment, listening to music, watching videos, etc., is getting more important. So, yes, the idea of entertainment will be translated to other cars.”
He followed up by adding that that “idea” must be executed in a way that fits the character of that vehicle, but added that, “Maybe a different let’s say ‘execution,’” would be how this would be achieved in the forthcoming X7.
The Front Row Experience Will Be Great, Too
Keller added that BMW is providing the front passenger with their own 14.6-inch display, and this comes standard in the 7 Series, which, in case you’re wondering, will be sold as a full EV, hybrid, or gas-only setup.
That screen offers the same menu of streaming and app-based technology as the flat panel in the second row, though it doesn’t have its own camera, so you cannot take a conference call from that position. That’s probably for the better, since that would be distracting for the driver. Regarding that, the front passenger screen has a privacy shield to prevent the driver from simultaneously ogling YouTube while crawling through a stop-and-go snarl.
And, just in case, a driver-monitor camera makes watching and driving impossible and will automatically dim the secondary display. Aren’t they so crafty?
The Driver Isn’t Left Out of the New Tech Experience
That’s not to say drivers get left out of BMW’s big tech march forward. BMW adds what they call Panoramic iDrive, which is a thin display that sweeps across the eyebrow of the dash. This offers two functions. First, ahead of the driver, it acts as an instrument cluster, showing speed and other vehicle vitals. But, secondarily, because this display is fairly minimal, it keeps your attention on the road ahead. A head-up display can also project elements onto the windscreen, including navigation functions, and BMW enables wireless Android Auto or Apple CarPlay phone pairing.
But the twist is that you can decide if you want persistent customization of what appears and where. For instance, if you always want entertainment elements (i.e., your Spotify app) to appear at the center of the dash within Panoramic iDrive, rather than in the central touchscreen between the driver and passenger, the system will retain your preferences. Likewise, if you always prefer another app (say, weather) to live in the far right corner of Panoramic iDrive, that arrangement will sustain within your driver profile, too.
If this is all sounding eerily familiar (like, oh, apps arranged as tiles as you prefer their location on your smartphone), then you’re catching on. One BMW official explained that the carmaker had to go this route because technology evolves, but central displays aren’t keeping up. Adding Panoramic iDrive allows the carmaker to simultaneously minimize the visual chaos of the center tablet’s menu structure while subtly raising the driver’s eyes so they’re much closer to looking out at the road.
What All This Tech Means for the BMW X7 — in 2028
As I said, BMW was guarded about the exact timing of the X7’s update, though it will be made in the U.S., at BMW’s South Carolina plant. That, unlike the 7 Series, which is manufactured in Germany, should give BMW more control over volume for the U.S. market, and that’s important, given the current state of the global economy and constant supply-chain disruptions.
BMW also shared some pricing on the new 7 Series. The base model, an in-line six-cylinder-powered 740, starts at $99,800, and the all-wheel-drive 740 xDrive starts at $102,800. BMW didn’t announce pricing of the plug-in hybrid BMW 750e xDrive, which will go into production just before the start of 2027. The most powerful 7 Series is the fully electric i7 60 xDrive ($124,700), and the electric i7 50 xDrive ($106,200) is also more powerful than the gas 7 Series. BMW is promising a range of about 350 miles for these two EVs.
If you’d still rather have a BMW X7, from what I’ve seen and heard, you can bet that vehicle will look like a larger version of the iX3, which is probably a good thing. That design is more daring than the 7 Series but will quickly become the new normal for BMW and Neue Klasse seems to look sharper on SUVs than sedans anyway.
And yet, perhaps, that isn’t going to matter much. Because the entertainment systems inside will likely come to embody what Neue Klasse means to most buyers: a tech-driven experience that more and more puts you, and your passengers, at the center of BMW’s innovative vision of the future.
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