Not getting a mid-cycle facelift until 2027—I seriously suspect BMW's reflexes are a bit too slow this time, aren't they?

Over at Mercedes, the S-Class has already been battered senseless by EVs, so much so that they're scrambling to make a big move in early 2026, even willing to overturn half the design and start over.

Meanwhile, the BMW 7 Series won't bother to roll out a cosmetic surgery plan until 2027—can you even stand that?

Now that the spy shots and renderings are out, there's no point beating around the bush or being coy.

The current G70-generation 7 Series has been taking heat for that face of its since the day it was born. Bloated, bizarre, even carrying a touch of baffling arrogance.

BMW execs talk tough, but their actions are honest enough—this facelift is plainly an admission that the current design went off track.

First, look at that most controversial grille. The current model, in a forced attempt to borrow Rolls-Royce's presence, went with a vertical-slat grille—and the result was a botched imitation, like an oversized pig snout slapped onto the face.

The facelift strips out all the vertical slats and replaces them with black horizontal lines. That's a ruthless cut. Horizontal lines do widen the visual effect and make the nose look lower.

But have you all thought about it—vertical grilles have always been a symbol of dignity and executive stature, while horizontal grilles are usually the preserve of sporty sedans.

Turning a D-segment executive flagship into what looks like an oversized 3 Series or a squashed X6—is that evolution or downgradation? That imposing, quietly commanding presence could well be wiped out by these few horizontal bars.

Now look at those eyes. The split headlights remain, but the upper DRLs squint even narrower, and the lower main light cluster has actually shrunk by half.

What is the designer thinking? Making the lights smaller equals a sense of tech? The whole face does look fiercer now, dripping with aggression.

But the question is—do the bosses buying a 7 Series need to drag-race someone at a stoplight, or do they need to park under an office tower and command the scene?

Today's design trends are downright baffling—insisting on turning a five-meter-plus executive sedan into a bulldog ready to bite at any moment.

The bumper too—the lines are made extremely complex. Muscularity is there, but that unhurried elegance is likely to be lost entirely.

The body sides haven't changed much, which is good news. After all, the current 7 Series' side profile is still fairly solid, retaining the heft a flagship should have.

At the rear, the black-and-silver two-tone rear bumper sounds fancy. This sporty treatment is fine on M Power models, but on a regular 7 Series, it always feels a bit out of place.

In the end, this facelift is just a patch-and-mend transitional plan.

BMW's mind is entirely on the Neue Klasse architecture—the current 7 Series is merely a casualty of the old-to-new transition period.

Unwilling to spend big money redoing the molds, yet unable to watch the Mercedes S-Class steal the spotlight, they can only tinker with the plastic parts and swap the face to maintain freshness.

For the brothers out there holding cash and waiting to buy, I've got to shoot straight here.

If you like the current model's Rolls-Royce-like vanity, take advantage of the big discounts now and grab one quick. The current model may be ugly, but at least it's ugly with recognizability—ugly like a big shot.

If you think the current model is too greasy and want to wait for the 2027 facelift, then be mentally prepared. The facelifted 7 Series may become younger and sportier, but it could also completely lose the gravitas a flagship sedan should have.

Once that gravitas is gone, the line between the 7 Series and the long-wheelbase 5 Series will blur more and more. Spending over a million on a big sporty sedan—no matter how you do the math, it feels like a loss.

One more thing that must be mentioned: Mercedes' S-Class facelift this time is aimed squarely at the interior and intelligence—that's a real, hard-cash upgrade.

If BMW only makes changes to the exterior, while the interior remains that fingerprint-collector big curved screen and the infotainment stays that logic-chaotic system, then this battle can't be fought.

In today's luxury car market, looks alone can no longer fool people. The bosses' money doesn't grow on trees—whoever has the stronger product will survive.

2027 is too far away, with too many variables. This move by BMW is less a product evolution and more a stalling tactic.