Verdict
The BMW i7 makes the stronger Malaysian ownership case at RM714,800, leaving a RM1,524,088 gap to the Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class. Its 625-km EV range, 195-kW DC charging and 525-litre boot suit long intercity days and airport runs far better than the Mercedes’ 31-km electric range and 350-litre boot. The AMG is emphatically quicker, hitting 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds against 4.7 seconds, and its rear cabin is far more lavish. But the i7’s RM1,015 annual road tax versus RM6,549 is hard to ignore.
Pick the BMW i7 if you want 625 km of electric range, 195-kW DC charging and a 525-litre boot without paying AMG S-Class money.
Pick the Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class if a 3.3-second 0-100 km/h time and exceptional rear-seat equipment matter more than price, road tax and EV range.
Key differences
- Price: BMW i7 RM714,800; Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class RM2,238,888.
- EV range: BMW i7 625 km; Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class 31 km.
- 0-100 km/h: BMW i7 4.7 seconds; Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class 3.3 seconds.
- Road tax per year: BMW i7 RM1,015; Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class RM6,549.
- Boot space: BMW i7 525 litres; Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class 350 litres.
- Airbags: BMW i7 seven; Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class 12.
i7
- 625-km EV range with 195-kW DC charging
- 525-litre boot is 175 litres larger
- Adaptive air suspension and all-wheel steering
- Slower 4.7-second 0-100 km/h time versus 3.3 seconds
- Seven airbags versus 12
- Rear seats lack the Mercedes’ ventilation, massage, ottoman and leg rest
AMG S-Class
- 3.3-second 0-100 km/h time and 290-km/h top speed
- Extensively equipped rear seats with massage, ventilation and one-touch recline
- 12 airbags, plus rear entertainment screens and 710-watt Burmester audio
- RM1,524,088 more expensive
- 31-km EV range versus 625 km
- 350-litre boot is 175 litres smaller
| Price & overview | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price | RM714,800✓ | RM2,238,888 |
| Body type | Sedan | Sedan |
| Segment | Luxury | Luxury |
| Assembly | CBU | CBU |
| Ownership | ||
| Road tax / year | RM1,015✓ | RM6,549 |
| Powertrain | ||
| Engine Tech | 5th-generation BMW eDrive, 400V architecture | 32-valve DOHC, direct fuel injection, twin-turbo with variable valve timing and PHEV assistance |
| Capacity | — | 3,982 cc |
| Horsepower | — | 603 hp at 5,500 rpm |
| Torque | — | 900 Nm at 2,500 rpm |
| Cylinder Arrangement | — | V 8 |
| Fuel | Electric | Petrol Plug-in Hybrid |
| Bore × Stroke | — | 83 mm × 92 mm |
| Number of Motors | 2 | 1 |
| Motor Horsepower | 536 hp✓ | 188 hp |
| Motor Torque | 745 Nm✓ | 320 Nm |
| Battery Capacity | — | 13.1 kWh |
| EV Range | 625 km✓ | 31 km |
| Charging Rate (AC) | 11 kW✓ | 3.7 kW |
| Charging Rate (DC) | 195 kW | — |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Transmission | Single Ratio Automatic | Dual-clutch Automatic (Wet) |
| Transmission Name | — | AMG Speedshift MCT 9G |
| Gears | — | 9 |
| Transmission Manufacturer | — | Mercedes-Benz |
| Driveline | All Wheel Drive | All Wheel Drive |
| Performance & Efficiency | ||
| 0-100 km/h | 4.7 seconds | 3.3 seconds✓ |
| Top Speed | 240 km/h | 290 km/h✓ |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 5,391 mm | 5,289 mm |
| Width | 1,950 mm | 1,954 mm |
| Height | 1,544 mm | 1,503 mm |
| Wheelbase | 3,215 mm | 3,216 mm |
| Weight | 2,715 kg | 2,385 kg |
| Fuel Tank | — | 90 litres |
| Doors | 4 | 4 |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Boot Space | 525 litres✓ | 350 litres |
| Front Tyre | 255/45R20 | 255/40R21 |
| Rear Tyre | 255/45R20 | 285/35R21 |
| Factory Tyres | Pirelli P Zero | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S |
| Chassis | ||
| Assembly | Germany (CBU) | Germany (CBU) |
| Front Suspension | Double Wishbones | Multi-Link with Air Suspension |
| Rear Suspension | Multi-link with Air Suspension | Multi-Link with Air Suspension |
| Front Wheels | 21" M Aerodynamic style 909 M alloy wheels | 21" AMG Cross-spoke Forged Wheels |
| Rear Wheels | 21" M Aerodynamic style 909 M alloy wheels | 21" AMG Cross-spoke Forged Wheels |
| Steering | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) |
| Chassis Notes | Adaptive Air Suspension, All-wheel steering | — |
| Crash Safety Ratings | ||
| EuroNCAP | 5 stars | — |
| Safety | ||
| Airbags | 7 Airbags | 12 (Driver and Passenger, Driver Knee, Rear Passengers, Front and Rear Side, Front and Rear Curtain, Rear Left Cushion) |
| ABS/EBD | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stability Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Alarm | ✓ | ✓ |
| Immobilizer | ✓ | ✓ |
| Airbag Disable Function | ✓ | ✓ |
| Child Safety Lock | Electronic for Rear Doors | Manual for Rear Doors |
| Seat Belts | 5 Three-point | 5 Three-point |
| Blind Spot Info System | ✓ | ✓ |
| ISOFIX | — | Available on Outer Two Rear Seats |
| Autonomous Braking System | Yes, with Pedestrian Detection (5 km/h to 80 km/h) | Yes |
| Lane-keeping Assist | Steering Correction | Steering Correction |
| Collision Warning | ✓ | ✓ |
| Seatbelt Reminder | All seats | All Seats |
| Lighting | ||
| Headlamps | LED Projectors with Auto High Beam | Adaptive LED Projector with Matrix High Beam (Digital Light with Projection Function) |
| Taillamps | LED combination | Full LED |
| LED Daytime Running Lights | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rear Foglamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wing Mirror Turn Indicators | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cabin | ||
| Front Seats | Power Adjustable Front Seats with Driver's Memory Function | Power Adjustable Front Seats with Memory, Heating and Massage Functions; Pillow Headrests; Passenger Seat Adjustment from Rear Seats |
| Rear Seats | Power Adjustable Rear Seats with Power Adjustments | Power Adjustable Outer Rear Seats with Memory, Heating, Ventilation, Massage and One-touch Recline Functions; Folding Rear Pillow Headrests with Built-in Neck Warmers; Powered Ottoman and Leg Rest for Left Seat with Massage Function; Centre Load-through |
| Front Air-con | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control with Air Balance Perfume System and Ioniser |
| Rear Air-con | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control |
| Sunroof | Sky Lounge Panoramic Glass Roof | Panoramic, Tilt and Slide |
| Power Sockets | — | 4 Front USB-C, 6 Rear USB-C |
| Interior Lighting | Map Lights and Ambient Lights (15 Colours) | Map Lights and Active Ambient Lights (64 Colours) |
| Cup Holders | 4 | 2 Front, 2 Rear |
| Sun Shade | 2x Side Shade, 1x Rear Shade | Double Sun Visors, Powered Rear Windscreen and Rear Door Window Sunshades |
| Audio | 14.9" BMW Curved Display Live Cockpit Professional, 10-Speaker HiFi Loudspeaker System | 12.8" OLED Touchscreen Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Augmented Reality Navigation; 11" Rear Entertainment Displays; 7" Rear Android Tablet; 15-speaker Burmester 3D Surround Sound System (710 Watts) |
| Convenience | ||
| Power Windows | 4 | Four Windows, Auto Up & Down with Anti-pinch |
| Engine Start | Keyless Push Button Start | Keyless Push Button |
| Locks | Keyless Operation | Keyless Operation |
| Auto Start/Stop | — | ✓ |
| Auto Headlamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Wipers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cruise Control | Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go | Adaptive Cruise Control |
| Paddle Shift | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Audio Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Tilt | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Telescopic | ✓ | ✓ |
| Electric Steering Adjustment | ✓ | ✓ |
| Boot Operation | Remote Control Activation with Contactless Opening | Contactless Opening, Powered Boot |
| Parking Sensor Front | 6 Sensors | 6 Sensors |
| Parking Sensor Rear | 6 Sensors | 6 Sensors |
| Reverse Camera | Yes, with Surround View Camera | Yes, 360-degree View Monitor |
| Auto Parking | — | Yes, for Parallel and Perpendicular Parking |
| Folding Wing Mirrors | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bluetooth | ✓ | ✓ |
| Navigation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Head-up Display | ✓ | ✓ |
| Power Door | Yes | Soft Close Function, All Doors |
| Hill Start Assist | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instrument Cluster | Full LCD Monitor | Full LCD Monitor |
| Parking Brake | Electronic | Electronic |
| Warranty | ||
| Warranty Mileage Manufacturer | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Warranty Mileage Extended | Unlimited | — |
| Warranty Manufacturer | 2 years | 4 years✓ |
| Warranty Extended | 3 years | — |
| Warranty Notes | 8-year/160,000 km Battery Warranty | — |
Specs shown for the selected variant of each car. ✓ marks the better figure where lower/higher is objectively better. Road tax: West Malaysia, private registration.
Used i7 & AMG S-Class for sale
i7 vs AMG S-Class FAQ
Is the BMW i7 or Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class better?
The BMW i7 is the more rational choice for Malaysia, with 625 km of EV range, 195-kW DC charging, a larger boot and much lower annual road tax. Choose the Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class for much stronger acceleration and a substantially richer rear cabin.
What is the price difference?
The Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class costs RM1,524,088 more than the BMW i7. That is a major premium for its 3.3-second sprint, 290-km/h top speed and more elaborate rear-seat amenities.
Which is better for chauffeured rear-seat travel?
The Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class. Its outer rear seats add memory, heating, ventilation, massage and one-touch recline, while the left rear occupant gets a powered ottoman and leg rest with massage. It also has twin 11-inch rear displays and a rear tablet.
