- BMW is testing a prototype of the facelifted G70 7-Series.
- The sedan appears to retain its big grille and split headlights.
- We expect the Neue Klasse iX3 to have some minor influence.
The G70 7-series was a key player in a BMW experiment that started with the 4-series to make kidney grills as big as physically possible. But this year BMW is launching the first of its Neue Klasse cars, the iX3 SUV, and together a radical new design language. Which makes life tricky for the designers tasked with facelifting the automaker’s flagship sedan.
The Neue Klasse cars will reject the early 2020s jumbo grille look for a modern take on the classic BMW face, the one made famous by models such as the 1980s E30 3-series. We’ve already seen spy shots of the facelifted G60 5-series – a car that only came out in 2023 – suggesting it will receive a Neue Klasse nose, but things aren’t so clearcut where the 7-Series is concerned.
Related: BMW 7-Series Facelift Could Arrive In 2026
Launched in 2022, the Seven is certainly due an update, and we’ll probably get a look at the result early next year as a MY27. But judging from what we can see here the Neue Klasse influences will be limited. Even with all the camo in place, we can see the gigantic grille isn’t going anywhere.
But while the grille bars on every current 7-series, including the i7 M70 and M760e, run vertically, they’re mounted horizontally on this test car, indicating that the M versions will be brought into line with cars like the M4 and M5.
Disguise also covers the upper area of the front end making it look like the DRLs – the 7-series has split lights – have disappeared. But we suspect they’re still there under the camo. So although we’ll have to wait until more of the disguise is peeled away to know we sure, the evidence points to this facelift being a minor one, and not a full Neue Klasse makeover.
New lights and bumpers will be added later in development, and it’s possible the 7-series could inherit some of the iX3’s interior features, such as the wide head-up display, but don’t bank on it. Do, though, bank on BMW adding more technology to a sedan that already comes equipped with Level 3 driving assistance and an optional 31-inch rear display as BMW attempts to keep pace with rivals like the soon-to-be facelifted Mercedes S-class.
