With the rise in the demand of EVs, major companies are taking notice of changed consumer choices and the newest in the list is BMW with its i7 sedan. This year, BMW has introduced a fully-electric trim for its flagship 7 Series. With two electric motors, 300 miles of range and a total output of 536HP, the 2023 BMW i7 is easily one of the best electric luxury sedans right now. The new i7 offers all the luxury we can find in the 7 Series with the added sustainability of tail-pipe emission-free driving.

Along the lines of luxury electric sedans, Mercedes also introduced its EQS sedan last year. With the increasing dominance of Tesla in the EV market, the Mercedes EQS is a bold statement from the Germans bringing luxury into the electric era. The EQS will offer its customer choice of a single motor with a rear-wheel-drive or a dual motor setup with a four-wheel-drive. Its aerodynamic body maximizes efficiency in performance and a state-of-the-art cabin equipped with a ton of features for that extravagant look.

Here's how the new all-electric BWM i7 looks to take on the Mercedes-Benz EQS.

Impressive Performance Figures And Range

BMW expects the new i7 to be the company’s most popular trim. The BMW i7 dubbed the xDrive60 has a similar powertrain to the one found in the iX SUV but is slightly more powerful with a 101.7 kWh battery pack powering two motors. The i7 shares its two motors with the i4 M50 producing a combined output of 536HP and a peak torque of 549 lb-ft. With a 0-60 time of 4.5 seconds, the i7 definitely is quick for a car weighing about 6000 pounds. BMW says that the i7 should have a range of 300 miles and there is a more powerful trim coming next year. The i7 M70 is expected to launch next year and have a total output of over 600HP and 737 lb-ft of peak torque, hence claiming superiority over the iX M60.

Unlike the 2023 i7, the Mercedes EQS offers two powertrain options to its buyers, the EQS 450+ and the EQS 580 4MATIC. The first one has a single motor setup with rear-wheel drive and the latter includes a dual-motor setup with four-wheel drive. The entry-level EQS 450+ is nothing no slouch either producing 329 HP and 406 lb-ft of torque, more than enough for any modern city riding car. However, it's no match for the EQS 580 4MATIC whose dual motors produce 516 HP and 611 lb-ft of peak torque. With a 0-60 time of 5.5 seconds and a top speed of 130MPH, the EQS falls a tad behind the i7 but still remains one of the more powerful EVs in the market.

Related: Everything You Need To Know About The 2023 BMW i7

Futuristic Designs With A Touch Of Extravagance

Both the Mercedes EQS and the BMW iX share their aim of being the flagship cars of their respective brands. Thus, neither Mercedes, nor BMW held back when it came to designing these EVs. Unlike the EQS, the BMW i7 still maintains a somewhat legacy look with most of its design cues being shared with the gas-powered 7 Series. As many BMW fans will recognize, the new i7 uses another iteration of the popular split-headlight trend we also found in the recently revised X7 SUV. The upper horizontal strips are DRLs while the lower portion contains adaptive headlamps and the customers can even opt for perimeter lighting around the huge front grille. In the back, it's a completely new design with thin long taillights that bring us back to the 2000s.

For the EQS sedan, Mercedes went out of its way to make sure that it has a distinct look from the S-Class. The EQS does look like it comes from the same family but shares more of its features with the 2019 Vision EQS Concept. With a wide set-in stance and curvy lines across the body, Mercedes has tried its best to maximize aerodynamics for this car. In fact, Mercedes claims that the EQS has an aerodynamic coefficient of 0.20cd, the new benchmark for Mercedes production cars. Since there is no combustion engine to cool, the front grille has been replaced by a black panel with the Mercedes logo. Add to the front-end lighting, this panel also stores an assortment of sensors like LIDAR and 360° camera etc.

Related: How The 2022 Mercedes EQE Compares To The EQS

A Lot Of Tech And Features On The Inside

Like the i4, iX and the X7, the new i7 also features the same large curved screen layout. The front features two separate displays, a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch display for iDrive infotainment. The i7 also gets the new iDrive V8.0 which supports over-the-air software updates. There is an even more luxurious experience in the back with 5.5-inch touchscreens on either door to control temperature, windows, media and other controls with an option for executive seats that recline up to 42.5 degrees. BMW has also offered an option for a 31-inch 8K theater display that pops out from the ceiling.

The Mercedes EQS has one of the most futuristic interiors we have seen in recent years. The front seats almost give the feel of a spaceship, especially with the MBUX Hyperscreen infotainment system that spans the entire dash. The MBUX Hyperscreen is truly magnificent comprising three displays interconnected through completely black OLEDs. It includes the 12.3-inch instrument cluster, a 17-inch infotainment screen in the center and another 12.3-inch display solely for the passenger. Add to this, the longer wheelbase of EQS, which helped Mercedes in making a comfy and spacious interior. Mercedes has also taken care of wellness additions for the interior including a HEPA filtration system, ambient lighting, massage seats and soundscapes meant to calm the passengers.

Thus, both the BMW i7 and the Mercedes EQS sedan are the benchmark EVs from two German auto giants. We can see the time and effort put into these cars to bring the utmost level of comfort and performance mixed with technology to the customers. While the EQS points only towards the future of the automobile, the i7 looks to retain the familiarity customers expect, with a lot of futuristic touches to the 7 Series line-up.

Source: Mercedes-Benz, BMW