BMW Malaysia Teases The i7 - 600PS, 600+km Range, 31.3-Inch Cinema Screen

Barely a week since the world got a peek at the all-new 7 Series (G70), including the fully electric i7 that’s based off it, BMW Malaysia have spun up the hype machine for its local arrival.

To be honest, we had already expected the BMW i7 to be included alongside the more broad selection of the G70 to replace the G11 7er that was given a facelift and spec bump in 2019, but perhaps not quite this quickly.

Malaysia Spec?

Seeing as how the i7 is being given the headline treatment here, BMW Malaysia is clearly leaning on this flagship EV limousine much more heavily than the rest of the range, leading us to guess that a local debut will could be some time later this year…maybe even within the 3rd quarter.

You can now register your interest for the car via BMW’s official Malaysian website, though interestingly they do divulge some telling information about the car due to be brought in. Specifically, it’ll have up to 615km of range and a combined power output of 440kW (or 600PS/ 590HP in normal-speak).

These match up to the upcoming i7 M60 that’s poised to sit at the top of the range, which also implies multiple variants are being planned for the local line-up. For now, BMW has only detailed the i7 in its debut xDrive60 guise, which pairs a dual-electric motor good for 543PS and 744Nm with a 101.7kWh lithium-ion battery.

We won’t resurface the debate on how the car itself looks from the outside, but its interior is unquestionably breathtaking. Cabin highlights include a 1,965-watt Bowers & Wilkins Diamond surround sound system with 39-speakers, panoramic glass sunroof, and a 31.3-inch BMW Theatre Screen for rear passengers.

Multiple Variants

Even in this ‘entry’ spec, the luxurious saloon still rockets to 100km/h in just 4.5 seconds while also being capable of going over 600km in between charges. It supports DC fast charging to a maximum rate of 195kW which will replenish its reserves from 10% to 80% in roughly 50 minutes.

BMW hasn’t disclosed how long it will take to fully (or mostly full) charge it when hooked up to a much less stout 11kW AC source but does say that the wallbox will supply 100km of range in 1 hour and 38 minutes.

In Malaysia, the selection of Munich’s electric vehicles consists of the iX at the tip of the spear alongside the 4 Series-based i4 and X3-based iX3. The i7’s local launch, which may or may not coincide with the combustion or plug-in hybrid variants of the G70 Series, would make the marque a dominant early leader in premium EVs purely on its variety of offerings.

Though the newest W223 S-Class had launched earlier this year in sole S580e form, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has yet to breathe a word about the arrival of the EQS, their highest-end luxury EV, and a direct rival to the BMW i7.