Northern Group Car of the Year 2023: BMW 7 Series Wins Luxury Category

The new BMW 7 Series has won the Luxury category for the 2023 Northern Group of Motoring Writers’ Car of the Year, making it one of the six finalists for this year’s overall award.

BMW’s flagship executive car arrived in late-2022, making the seventh generation of the Seven, initially only as the all-electric i7 before the hybrid model arrived in 2023.

Somewhat as you’d expect, the G70 model is larger in every dimension than its predecessor. That’s in part down to the fact it’s only offered as a long-wheelbase model, coming in with 5mm more between the wheels than the old G12 LWB.

It is though packed with luxury kit, and optional extras that include enormous 8K, 31-inch “Theatre Screen” rear-seat entertainment system and the Executive Lounge rear seat that offers maximum comfort for one passenger on the nearside.

The 7 Series topped our members’ voting, beating the Mercedes-Benz EQE and Porsche Cayenne to take the category win and advance to the overall Car of the Year final.

BMW supplied an example of the car, in range-topping M760e xDrive form for our COTY driving day near Skipton. That allowed the judging panel to assess it against the other five finalists, with one of our judges commenting:

This is all about back-seat passengers and is an amazing car… at an amazing price.

Following the driving day, the judges retired to mull their choices, submitting the votes in a secret ballot. These have now been counted, and the Group will announce the winning car at SMMT Test Day North.

The winning manufacturer’s press office will receive the coveted “Arthur” award to commemorate the victory, in a presentation at the SMMT event if they are in attendance.