BMW’s very proud of its new i7 M70 and its immense power. Admittedly, it should be proud of the most powerful electric vehicle it’s ever made. Among its traditional peers, the i7 M70 is indeed a monster EV. However, among some of its newer, less traditional competitors, it actually doesn’t look so hot. Specifically, when compared to the Lucid Air.
The Lucid Air Grand Touring is the car most likely to compete with the i7 M70, due to having what is likely going to be a similar price. The BMW i7 xDrive60 starts at about $120,000, so it’s reasonable to expect the i7 M70 to cost around $140,000. Ironically, that’s about what the Lucid Air Grand Touring costs. So let’s take a look at the two cars to see which one’s design is better. After all, we can’t drive the i7 M70 just yet, so we can’t possibly know how they compare. Instead, we’ll just compare their designs, to see if BMW can take down its new rival.
Up front
This is where the BMW i7 is its most controversial. It isn’t just the big grille that irks BMW fans, it’s the split headlights, and just how massive and upright the front end is. It looks like the front end of a pickup truck, not a sleek sedan. While the Ludic couldn’t be more different. It’s low, sleek, wide, and curvy. It features smooth, subtle lines and has elegant headlights integrated into its “grille.” I think it’s hard to deny that it’s prettier than the 7er up front. So it wins here.
In Profile
With the i7 and 7 Series, it looks like BMW took the “three-box” design rule literally. With its upright front/rear ends and flat front/rear decks, the i7 M70 looks like three rectangles of different heights glued together. There really isn’t much styling to speak of. Whereas the Lucid has a lovely sweeping roofline, a low plunging front end, and a funky but bubbly rear end that evokes images of old French sedans. It has character so it wins again.
Out Back
This is the BMW i7’s best angle. Its slim, simple taillights look good and there isn’t anything too offensive, aside from how blocky it is. Still, look at the Ludic’s slick rear light bar, its curvy rear haunches, and interesting surfaces. It’s the better looking car out back too.
Inside
BMW might be able to snag a point on the inside, as i7 M70’s cabin looks great. Its modern, sporty, plush looking, and features some really cool materials. Similar things can be said about the Ludic’s cabin and it does look great. However, I think the BMW’s looks a bit more special, thanks to it sportier, more traditional design.
Conclusion
The Lucid Air Grand Touring takes the win. Granted, Lucid has had some troubles with reliability and actually getting cars delivered. However, it’s a very new brand, so that’s not entirely surprising. The Air is the first car it’s ever shipped, there are bound to be headaches. But, if Lucid can get a hold on its quality control and manufacturing, it’s going to be a very dangerous threat to the old guard. The Air Grand Touring isn’t just priced similarly to the i7 M70 while looking better, it also makes almost 200 more horsepower, is significantly faster and has almost 200 miles of additional range.
Of course, the BMW i7 M70 brings the brand’s prestige to the table, including some subtle touches from the M division. So it will come down to this: a classic looking limousine versus an EV-looking luxury sedan.
