Test Car Specifications
Model tested: BMW 750Li xDrive
Pricing: likely to increase from current model's £74,340 (new 7 Series starts at £64,530)
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol
Transmission: eight-speed Steptronic automatic, four-wheel drive
Body style: four-door saloon
CO2 emissions: 192g/km (VED Band J, £490 first year, £265 annually thereafter)
Combined economy: 34mpg
Top speed: 155mph (limited)
0-62mph: 4.5 seconds
Power: 450hp at 5,500- to 6,000rpm
Torque: 650Nm at 1,800- to 4,500rpm
What's this?
A hell of a lot of technology, on wheels. Somewhere underneath all the gadgets, driver assist systems and acres of leather and wood is the new BMW 7 Series, now morphing into its sixth generation. It uses 'Carbon Core' materials developed through BMW's learnings with the i3 and i8 EVs to strip up to 130kg from the kerb weight of its predecessor, while it can be specified with any manner of toys in an effort to take on the Sonderklasse - or Mercedes-Benz S-Class, to you and I, another Teutonic technofest - in the exalted luxury executive market. So, the BMW can be fitted with Laserlight headlamps, quilted leather, massaging seats, Remote Control Parking (does what it says on the tin) and the Sky Lounge Panoramic Glass Sunroof (incorporating LEDs that can be lit according to the ambient lighting in the Seven's cabin) among many more impressive items.
All models get adaptive cruise control, air suspension all round with Dynamic Damper Control, gesture control (various hand movements control bits of the Seven's software), a tablet in the rear armrest to control the on-board infotainment, climate control and all the electronics you'd expect of a car that starts at £64,530 for a 'basic' diesel. Talking of which, UK models at launch include a 3.0-litre turbocharged 730d, a couple of petrol beasts in the form of the 740i (3.0 six-cylinder turbo) and the 750i tested here (4.4 V8 twin-turbo), and the 740e plug-in hybrid - teaming a 2.0-litre four-pot unit to an electric motor. Other markets get a 740d twin-turbo 3.0 diesel, too.
And all of these variants can be had in regular or long-wheelbase form, the latter adding an 'L' to the boot badge, 45kg to the kerb weight and 140mm to the wheelbase, every millimetre of which is to the benefit of rear-seat passengers; expect the Li/Ld/Le models to sell well in China, then. Bringing it back to the UK line-up for now, certain models can be specified with xDrive all-wheel drive - the 730d and Ld can be optioned with it, as can the long wheelbase hybrid. The 750i and Li are xDrive as standard, while the 740i/Li variants are rear-wheel drive only. The xDrive system adds cost and also 70kg of weight, and as a result blunts performance, economy and emissions on the models where it's an option, although it does counter with better traction.
With all that in mind, the only thing that might put you off the 7 Series in the showroom alone is the look of it. Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW's top design bod, spoke passionately about the styling of the big limousine and we quite like it, although we can appreciate that there will be those who won't. This Seven is no wider than the old model but enlarged headlamp units and the biggest set of kidney grilles we've ever seen make it seem fatter to the eye. The side is uncluttered by swage lines, there being just two discreet creases running through the door handles and along the sills (the lower one highlighted in chrome) and at the rear it's a tidy looking machine. The bonnet now closes flush to the grilles, removing the old shut line running transversely across the front of the previous 7 Series, and it looks good from the driver's perspective - two strakes running its length are like sight guides to place the big prow of the Beemer.
You'll certainly not complain about the interior, which is one of the highest quality cabins you could hope to encounter. Everything looks and feels magnificent, the TFT instrument cluster is divine and there's not a single piece of black plastic on show anywhere. The 750Li we drove also had cavernous rear legroom, with the optional Executive Lounge pack: electrically adjustable massaging rear chairs, four-zone climate control and ventilated seats all round. Sumptuous doesn't even cover it - bear in mind, though, that while lesser-spec models can carry five people, opt for the more gratuitous versions with full rear infotainment and it becomes a strict four-seater.
How does it drive?
The 750Li xDrive weighs in at an impressive 1,915kg, which isn't bad for a 5.23-metre long barge with more electronics on it than the International Space Station and packing a large displacement V8 up front. And that translates into effortless performance - a 0-62mph time of 4.5 seconds is M-car quick, but it's the way the BMW hauls from 30mph up to motorway speed, and beyond, in the blink of an eye that astonishes. The 4.4-litre unit is reasonably muted, given that cultured cruising is the car's raison d'être, yet even on part throttle you can hear it warbling away through the front bulkhead. That's a nice touch; it subconsciously reinforces BMW's inherent sportiness.
And it doesn't take long behind the wheel to realise it's an agile beast; perhaps not as sharp as other BMW saloons, like the 3- and 5 Series cars, but certainly in advance of the aforementioned Merc and Audi's anodyne A8. The BMW's steering's a bit lacking in terms of feel - it seems to be permanently in 'light' setting, no matter which of the three Drive Performance Control modes you opt for - but it is direct and consistent, so you soon start leaning on the xDrive's reserves of grip. Which are as vast as the rear legroom. Little short of ludicrous speed will unstick the 7 Series in the dry and we'd hazard a guess that it would be nearly as surefooted in the wet.
But that's not the reason you should buy a 7 Series. The ride and refinement are the real stars here. When cruising along a motorway, there is little indication that the Seven is in any way physically connected with the road surface beneath you. It glides along in utter comfort, cosseting its passengers and demolishing the miles without any hint of stress. Tyre noise and the murmurings of the V8 engine are banished from entering the cabin, although we will sound one note of caution on wind noise - take a look at the Seven's fancy door mirrors: they're not attached to either the 'mirror triangle' at the base of the A-pillar or the door itself, but instead sit on a blade of metal coming out of the window surround trim. This is very fancy design, akin to something that has escaped from a motor show stand, but we reckon it leads to a constant ruffling of wind around the thin supports. Shame, because in all other respects the 7 Series' cruising demeanour is absolutely marvellous.
Verdict
The new 7 Series is a wonderful blend of the technological and BMW's fine traditions of a sporting saloon, managing to perform admirably in meeting its core design brief - that of being both gadget-laden and super-comfortable for the executives and oil magnates who will be chauffeured around in it - while still handling like a Munich motor. The 750Li xDrive isn't cheap and neither is it good on fuel (we saw about 22.6mpg, without driving it appallingly), so the 730d is the model to pick. However, no matter the engine or spec, the latest Seven is a stunning creation and conceivably it's a better car than the S-Class. That's some claim, we're sure you'll agree.
Exterior Design
Interior Ambience
Passenger Space
Luggage Space
Safety
Comfort
Driving Dynamics
Powertrain
