Four years in, and BMW still won’t apologize for those grilles. The 2027 7 Series facelift is coming, official reveal at the Beijing Auto Show next month, and the teaser image makes one thing abundantly clear. The XXL kidney grilles are staying put. All of them. Every controversial, polarizing, love-it-or-hate-it millimeter.
That’s a deliberate choice, and an interesting one. The new iX3 just introduced a radically different design language for BMW, the so-called Neue Klasse aesthetic, a wide, flat grille that merges seamlessly with the headlights. The upcoming i3 and next-gen 3 Series will follow that same path. The 7 Series? It’s taking a different road entirely.
And Beijing is exactly where BMW chose to unveil it. No coincidence there. Chinese customers remain deeply attached to large, imposing sedans, and the 7 Series has always found fertile ground in that market. The LED grille outline confirms the familiar front-end structure, while the upper DRL strip appears slightly flatter than before. The same split-light layout, by the way, will return on the 2027 X7.
CEO Oliver Zipse calls the updated 7 Series a “near-completely new vehicle” which is either bold corporate confidence or masterful spin. The exterior evolution is subtle, but the interior is where the real story unfolds. The radical cabin from the new iX3 is expected to migrate here, presumably tuned to the obsessive luxury standards that a range-topping sedan demands. Overhauling an entire iDrive generation mid-cycle isn’t cheap, and BMW knows it.
Meanwhile, the competitive landscape is quietly clearing out. Audi A8 and Lexus LS are both heading toward the exit, leaving the 7 Series in a surprisingly comfortable position against the Mercedes S-Class, its one remaining true rival in the segment.
Then there’s the ALPINA revival angle. BMW wants a slice of the Maybach S-Class market, but needs to tread carefully, Rolls-Royce Ghost territory is right next door, and those two brands share more than just a parent company. A more refined, ultra-premium 7 Series variant is expected before year’s end, built on this very facelift.
