BMW M135i vs BMW 740i

What's the difference?

When the iPhone first appeared just over a decade ago, I can remember thinking a phone without buttons would be a giant pain in the neck. Until I used one, and now the idea of a keypad phone sounds akin to starting a car with a crank handle.

The new 1 Series is likely to offer most buyers a similar revelation, with its move from the BMW-traditional rear-drive layout to more conventional front and all-wheel drive. That is assuming you gave a damn in the first place, as I suspect it’s only hardcore BMW traditionalists that care about a rear-drive premium hatchback in 2020.

And that’s not who is buying the 1 Series, with the Bavarian brand’s cheapest model intended to appeal to younger buyers who are more likely to care about connectivity, practicality and personalisation options than the excitement of losing grip from the rear. It certainly hasn’t stopped plenty of people from buying 1 Series-rivalling A-Class and A3s from Mercedes-Benz and Audi over the years.

The BMW 7 Series is Munich’s flagship, the car that fans of the blue and white roundel respect as peak plush motoring.

Now, for the seventh 7 Series, BMW has brought electric power to the table in the form of the i7 in order to stay ahead of the curve.

It’s still joined by a petrol-powered variant here in Australia, the 740i, which is a mild hybrid and shares a lot of the luxury specifications of the i7 - including a properly impressive rear seat theatre screen.

But is it forward-thinking enough to fend off the likes of the Mercedes EQS?