A Russian BMW fan seems to have leaked the new face of the 2019 7 Series on social media over the weekend. While we’d advise any news involving Russia be taken with a grain of salt, it certainly looks like this could be documentation of the sedan’s upcoming facelift. Take special note of the front lip and how closely it matches the 2014 BMW Vision Future Luxury Concept and the brand’s current design language.
BMW has been holding clandestine previews of the updated 7 Series for months, giving credence to the leak. However, the subpar quality of the image and swift disappearance of the Instagram link that published it (before it was picked up by BMW Blog) makes things feel slightly fishy. Still, the original poster appears to be an avid BMW fan/owner/automotive blogger and theoretically could have been to invited to one of BMW’s secret pre-screenings. Though perhaps not next time, considering the probable leak.
As expected, the model receives an upscaled kidney grille and slimmer headlamps. It also gets the revised front fascia we saw on the Vision Future Luxury Concept — or at least the bottom bit — and some more (wholly unnecessary) chrome trim.
More meaningful upgrades have been kept under tighter wraps. We know that BMW intends to implement the newest version of its iDrive system, some fresh display options, and a handful of interior tweaks. But we haven’t heard much about any major mechanical changes for the sedan. Expect the 7 Series to persist with either the base 3.0-liter TwinPower Turbo inline six-cylinder or 4.4-liter TwinPower Turbo V8 in both rear and all-wheel drive configurations.
As BMW doesn’t plan on making an appearance at the North American International Auto Show this year, we’d wager the first time you’ll see the whole car is at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
[Image: fdnidin/Instagram]
Please, no…
I really think BMW needs to head a whole new direction with their styling. The kidney grille has gone about as far as it can, and making it ever-larger just edges the fascia closer to looking like some rabbit teeth.
Rabbit of Caerbannog!
For all that is holy…please stop with the grill “enhancement.” My God, these are no longer “kidney” grills…these are full-fledged man-hole covers. Any vestiges of love I have for the marque are dying with each new model they bring out. Somewhere, there’s a 2002 weeping…
Bring back the Bangle Butt!… That is all
Yeah, check out the new X5…. good god. It looks like a logo for a lumber store.
BMW styling has been on a long decline since the Chris Bangle era.
But hey, people keep buying them – so what do I know?
Distasteful. I think the current crop of so called stylists are unbalanced.
Tasteful isn’t in anymore, 28.
Every time BMW releases a new 7 series, my 1990’s E32 gains a little more value.
Reminds me of a Kia or it’s brothers at Genesis.
Kia looks more sporty and more exciting. So no. may be Camry?
I see some Kia in the headlights, though the Koreans have better sense than to use brightwork to frame blank sections of the bumper.
Maybe it’s Russia-only.
(We can hope, anyway.)
More proof that the Chinese market, the current force in automotive design, has an insatiable thirst for chrome, rivaled only by USA in 1957. I expect the bangle butts to soon be eclipsed by fins and afterburners.
The i8 kind of has fins.
Look at the ride height, it’s an SUV!
First the Russians hijack our election with $10,000 in Facebook ads, and now this?!
Money is greater than Politics and Diplomacy.
I believe BMW is a sedan king. Seriously BMW is topping in greatest sedans, coupes and hatches. BMW is very innovative when it comes to saloon cars and sedans.
Is BMW king of anything?
“Is BMW king of anything?”
Plastic cooling systems?
Maybe a few other things as well: https://tinyurl.com/y7tcutgx
If BMW is sedan king, will he be deposed one day and his son having to approach people for help transferring their immense wealth out of the country?
Yes, there’s a reason why Enterprise has booths at many BMW dealers. That’s how many ‘under warranty’ BMWs are in need of service.
No, BMW is rather Fuhrer of sedans. Or Kaiser for PC crowd.
It’s not Lexus-grade ugly, but the double-kidney grille was one thing BMW could have left alone and people would still buy the cars.
You know at Lexus they’re giving high-fives in the design studios, “Ha! we tricked the Germans into putting hideous grilles on their cars! Now, let’s roll out our next gen cars sans the spindle-grille.”
Ach du lieber.
The marketing people demand a corporate nose because brand. The designers come up with something dumb because line look. The executives approve it because research — and the dish runs away with the spoon.
GroupThink at its finest.
Oh no, that can’t be. My eyes!
I gave up on recent Benzes long ago, hoping BMW as last holdout, recovering from Bangle-era excess. But this is the worst. I thought the X7 would be the only afflictee of this nonsense.
Need palate-cleanser immediately…wait, have E39 540i M-Sport in garage…..ahh….
that’s better…
That really is awful. What the hell..
Just cause Lexus has to go massive spindle grill doesn’t mean BMW has to enlarge the kidney grills.
I have a neighbor with a very nice well maintained E32. The styling is classy and teutonic same for the E38.
Yeah, no. And I’ve lost all serious interest in these vehicles. They cost so much and then lose 80 percent of that value in such a short period. They’re impressive but irrelevant.
I greatly disliked the Chris Bangle styling change. The early 2000s 5 and 7 series still look good to my eyes but over time I’ve understood why they went away from that. They’ve been moving onwards this whole time of course but I guess the magic is gone for me – they’re just overly expensive cars that drive and feel a bit better that Jap/Korean machines while costing way too much. Nup.
Russia? Will it be up-armored?
Probably. I went to a BMW dealer in Mexico City a few years back. ALL the cars had armor, at least able to stop handgun rounds…not Presidential Limo, but random kidnapper-proof.
I stand corrected. For several years I thought it impossible to make anything uglier than the Bangle 5-series (E60).
I now realize that I was wrong.
And …….surprise , it looks like a BMW
I am shocked. It is a radical new design. Suddenly all previous generation BMWs became obsolete.
That grill is BMW’s version of those Polo shirts with the ridiculously oversized Polo logo on them.
Well said.
Self Parody ? Nope, they aren’t that self aware….
LOL! Exactly.
That is as ugly as the first dragon Strongbad tried to draw in sbemail 58… “The S is for sucks”
http://bike.lacity.org/city-seeks-to-make-storm-drain-grates-more-bicycle-friendly/