The updated BMW i7 will be unveiled at the Beijing motor show on 22 April with a fresh look and key improvements to its electrical powertrain.

The i7’s refreshed design is expected to bring it closer to the brand’s new ‘Neue Klasse’ models, the iX3 and i3, although it will be more conservative than those models in its transformation.

The most significant change will be a simpler front-end design, with a squarer and more prominent grille, plus wider daytime-running lights.

Its battery, meanwhile, will receive the cylindrical cells introduced with the Neue Klasse models but integrated into the same housing as the existing i7. 

The new cells will bring a 20% improvement in energy density, which should bring a corresponding increase in range. For reference, the outgoing i7 can drive up to 387 miles per charge in its rangiest form. 

BMW has worked with Croatian firm Rimac Technology on the new i7’s high-voltage battery system. Mate Rimac, founder and president of the Rimac Group, said the revised electricals will bring “significant improvements in energy, range and charging performance”. 

The i7 is one of several BMW models due to be updated this year as the firm rolls out the Neue Klasse, the catch-all term it is using to describe a new approach to design, engineering and electrification. 

It has already launched the iX3 SUV and the i3. They will be followed by the updated i7 and 7 Series, a heavily revised version of the combustion-engined 3 Series, and a new electric iX5. 

The 5 Series and i5 are also due to be overhauled.