The New BMW 7 Series Will Keep The Huge Grille And Split Lights

BMW has a completely new design language, but the 7 Series is keeping its striking front fascia.

2027 BMW 7 Series teaser

Photo by: BMW

Adrian Padeanu

By: Adrian Padeanu

Mar 12, at 5:04am ET

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The Breakdown

The 7 Series won't transition to the new design language.
BMW's updated flagship sedan still has split headlights flanking a large kidney grille.
The new infotainment tech will bring radical changes to the dashboard.

The new iX3 marks a radical design departure for BMW, but we won't see the fresh look on all BMW cars. Although most models from Munich will embrace the Neue Klasse aesthetic in the coming years, the 7 Series won’t be one of them. The luxury sedan is getting a mid-cycle facelift, and judging by the teaser image, it’ll receive an evolutionary look.

BMW is giving us an early glimpse of its updated flagship before the 2027 7 Series breaks cover next month. We’re going to see the Mercedes S-Class rival at the Beijing Auto Show, which seems fitting given how Chinese customers remain enamored with big sedans. Although the car largely hides in the shadows, it’s already evident that the front design won’t change all that much compared to the current model, which has been around for about four years.

The grille’s LED contour makes it crystal clear that the XXL-sized kidneys are staying. It’s an interesting decision given how the new i3 will look completely different. The smaller electric sedan, and by extension the next-generation 3 Series, will have a wide, flat grille merging with the headlights. That’s obviously not the case here, as the 7 Series will retain the design elements that have made this generation so controversial.

Pre-facelift BMW 7 Series (G70)

The upper strip of LED daytime running lights appears flatter than before and, once again, sits above the main headlights. We haven’t seen the last of this striking layout, as the next-generation X7 coming in 2027 will feature a similar look. BMW tends to be more daring in the design of its largest vehicles, and we can easily add the XM to that group. The iX doesn’t have split headlights, but it was the first SUV to feature the gargantuan grille when it arrived back in 2021.

While Mercedes has said the S-Class facelift is more than 50 percent new, BMW is going even further. The 2027 7 Series is an “almost completely new vehicle,” according to CEO Oliver Zipse. Entering the second half of its seventh generation, the 7er won’t have to worry about two key rivals much longer, as the Audi A8 and Lexus LS are on their way out.

BMW’s boss claims the company is “raising our luxury sedan to a whole new level in terms of both appearance and technology.” However, the teaser image suggests the exterior styling won’t change much, but the cabin is set to undergo major changes. The iX3’s radical new interior is coming to the 7 Series, presumably in a higher-end specification, given the car’s range-topping status.

2026 BMW iX3 interior

Photo by: BMW

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Motor1's Take: It’s a bit surprising to see BMW sticking with the previous design language, but then again, an entirely new front fascia might’ve been too expensive. Even without adopting the 3 Series/i3’s fresh face, the company still must have poured a significant amount of money into the update. Changing the iDrive generation again with a completely new setup for a mid-cycle facelift surely isn’t cheap.

We’re particularly curious to see how the 7 Series will be pushed further upmarket for the revival of the ALPINA version. BMW aims to go after the Maybach S-Class without stepping on the Rolls-Royce Ghost’s toes. The posher 7er is expected to follow later this year and will be based on the facelifted version.

Stay Up To Date With BMW:

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Source: BMW

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