The basic shape remains a three-box sedan with a large cabin to provide plenty of room for passengers in both rows. This all-new Seven bears a clear resemblance to the previous model. The i7 xDrive60, as the EV version is called, differs from the V-8-powered 760i xDrive in only minor visual details: The BMW roundel on the hood has a subtle blue ring around it, the start/stop button inside is blue, the grille is solid and has a small 'I' in a vertical element, and, of course, there are no tailpipes. With its new-for-2023 7-series, BMW has come down firmly in the camp of making electrification simply another powertrain alternative.

Mercedes-Benz, on the other hand, offers an EQS that bears no resemblance to its current S-class. Should an EV look different than a gasoline-powered equivalent, or have we gotten to the stage where electric power is just another powertrain choice, like picking between a four- and a six-cylinder engine? Ford, with its F-150 Lightning, has chosen to make its EV version look much like the regular F-series. From the January 2023 issue of Car and Driver.

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