Nichola Beckford/Contributor

It was a rooftop reveal for the brand new BMW 7 Series sedan and X7 sport utility vehicle at the Lady Musgrave Showroom of ATL Autobahn, in Kingston.

The two models represent the pinnacle of luxury offered from the brand.

The 7 Series is now on its seventh generation having begun production in 1977 as a flagship full-sized luxury sedan. Each model change is usually a bellwether for the technology and innovation that will make their way down the line.

The year 2023 sees the 7 Series the largest the car has ever been, creating an even more imposing visage given the new styling. Day or night, the 7 Series makes a statement. The distinctive adaptive LED headlights are a slim strip at the top that combines the daytime driving lights, side lights and indicators. Below them, deep into the front bumper are the low and high beams. Between them is current interpretation of the iconic kidney grilles, which glows at night due to contour lighting. If the glowing grille isn’t enough then the rear lights look like fine jewellery because they are. Swarovski crystals have been arranged into L-shapes and then backlit for further presence whichever angle the 7 Series is viewed from. The exterior lighting package further animates to welcome or bid farewell to the driver.

The 7 Series was designed as an answer to the domination of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the other German sedan focused on cutting edge automotive technology and occupant luxury. The differentiating factor between these two was BMW’s sportier nature, making the 7 Series the car to drive rather than the car to be driven like the Mercedes-Benz. To that effect BMW says the interior of the 7 Series reflects a balance between driving dynamics and travelling comfort.

As impactful as the exterior is, so is the interior, fully embracing the modern touchscreen methodology of vehicle operation. Dubbed BMW Curved Display the screen is one huge high resolution construct divided into two sections. The driver gets a 12.9-inch piece all to themselves, and the BMW iDrive 8 infotainment system operates from the second section measuring 14.9-inches. Screens don’t stop there. The 7 Series introduces the BMW Interaction Bar. At first glance it appears to be contrast accent that runs around the cabin. It’s not. It’s a thin functional screen that runs across the dashboard and into the door panel trim with various controls.

As the 7 Series is built to be driven, there are a host of assist features futureproof it for Level 3 automated driving whenever it becomes legal. To go along with the full air suspension are Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go function, Steering and Lane Control, Automatic Speed Limit Assist, Route Monitoring function, Traffic light recognition and Active Navigation, all for minimal driving effort when necessary. Reversing Assistant is now up 200 metres and Parking Assistant Professional will allow App based remote operation in the future.

For power, there are gas and diesel options with 48-volt electronic assist making sure acceleration is not only in abundance, but smooth and as efficient as possible. An all-electric version, the i7, is on the horizon.

It would not be wrong to call the X7, the 7 Series of SUVs, as its aim is provide the same amount of luxury and driving pleasure as its sedan counterpart. Like the 7 Series, it is the largest, most luxurious SUV the brand makes having joined the line-up in 2019. Whereas the X5 has a third row seating option available, the X7 makes that a permanent feature for those who wish to travel seven-up in absolute luxury.

The new X7 borrows its fascia from the 7 Series sedan, getting the large kidney grille with the cascade lighting, and the split LED headlight arrangement. It features a factory first, 23-inch wheels. The interior has the new iDrive 8 BMW Curved Display for both instrumentation and infotainment operation. The cabin is a bit more old school, focusing on traditional materials and design to endow it with a sense of luxury. Since this is an SUV, the rear tailgate is power operated with a dual gate function. Engine start at an inline six-cylinder diesel all the way to a 530bhp turbocharged V8, all having the 48-volt mild hybrid system for maximum fuel efficiency.