BMW, unwilling to let Mercedes dominate the luxury electric sedan segment with its EQS, has been cooking up its own spectacular EV called the i7. We first saw spy shots of the car in July last year, and since then, the prototype vehicles being used for testing have shed no camouflage. Thanks to those who can see past the squiggly white lines on the black wrap and have the skills to render the underlying vehicle with relative accuracy, we have a rough idea of what the production car will look like, complete with its gargantuan kidney grilles. Fortunately, fans of BMW's new design language will get to see the controversial styling before too long, as the automaker has just wrapped up winter testing.

The Bavarian brand has been a few miles away from the Arctic Circle, evaluating the electric BMW 7 Series in Arjeplog, a favorite Swedish testing ground of many of the world's largest automakers. If your car can survive in the conditions commonly seen in this locale, it should operate effortlessly anywhere. BMW has evaluated the suspension and all-wheel drive systems of the new i7, as well as its steering, braking, and dynamics and stability systems. This, says BMW, "also includes performance-oriented tuning of the wheel suspension, springs, dampers, and various regulating systems to match the different drive types." As we already know, the i7 will be the most powerful 7 Series yet, but various derivatives will be available for those who don't need outright bragging rights.

BMW is expected to reveal the new EQS fighter in 2022, at which point we expect to see the production version of the XM SUV, the exciting M4 CSL, the M3 Touring (wagon), and even a new Le Mans endurance racer. For the i7, BMW's foray into electric mobility will provide up to 650 horsepower in the M60 variant, making it around 8% more powerful than the current range-topper of the regular 7 Series range, the M760i, which produces 600 hp from its 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12. But that may not necessarily mean that you'll pay more than the traditional 7 - Merc is charging around $9,000 less for the EQS than it does for the S-Class, and it would make sense for BMW to follow suit if it wants a sizeable slice of the pie. We'll report back once we know more.