The BMW 7 Series is back and promises more of everything which made the last car so good, while shedding weight and improving its emissions.
This sixth-generation limo borrows technology from the German manufacturer’s futuristic “i” cars, while debuting a number of innovations which promise to increase luxury and efficiency.
As a result it’s up to 130kg lighter than before, helping drive a reduction in CO2 emissions that will be very attractive to company car drivers.
The biggest series-produced BMW ever
You can have the new 7 Series in normal or extended wheelbase layouts, with the latter offering more space in the back thanks to an extra 14cm of length.
This car is the biggest BMW has ever made and should offer levels of interior space and comfort unparalleled by the rest of the range, plus a large boot measuring 515 litres.
Conservative styling offers a modest departure from the smaller 3 and 5 Series cars, while the characteristic BMW front end features LED headlights as standard, with optional Laserlights.
There are two non-metallic and nine metallic colour shades, plus another two that can be ordered exclusively with the M Sport package, and one BMW Individual special paint finish.
It sits on 18- or 19-inch alloy wheels depending on trim, and optional 18- to 21-inch styles can be ordered.
Engine line-up
All the engines, whether petrol or diesel, feature BMW TwinPower Turbo technology.
You get an eight speed Steptronic auto transmission as standard, with a sport gearbox and shift paddles on the steering wheel available as an option, although it’s standard on M Sport models.
Most attractive to fleet buyers will be the diesel-powered 730d and 730d models, which are powered by a 3-litre unit with 261bhp and 620Nm of torque.
As well as a power hike, BMW has promised better fuel consumption and emissions with up to 60.1mpg and 124g/km of CO2 on offer.
Another option is the plug-in hybrid powertrain used in the 740e and 740Le xDrive. These use a 2-litre turbocharged petrol engine and an electric motor integrated into the eight-speed Steptronic transmission. This can be run purely in electric mode at speeds of up to 75mph and for a maximum range of up to 25 miles.
It produces a total of 322bhp but claims 134.5mpg and CO2 emissions of 49g/km, and can be recharged using a standard power socket or a BMW Wallbox, as well as at public charging stations.
Self-levelling air suspension on both axles can be manually raised by 20mm if you’re about to drive over some rough tarmac, and in Sport mode it drops by 10mm.
Luxury interior
Inside the 7 Series the pieces of trim and the chrome around the instrument panel are made individually for each car to ensure a perfect fit, plus there’s a new touchscreen surface to control the automatic four-zone air-con.
Upgrade to M Sport for an aerodynamic body kit, plus 19-inch M alloy wheels in twin-spoke design, illuminated door sill finishers bearing the M logo and accents in either light or dark chrome.
There’s a touchscreen navigation system for the first time, plus a Heat Comfort package not only warms the steering wheel rim, but the armrests in both the doors and the front and rear centre consoles, in addition to the front and rear seats.
Massaging seats are standard in the front and optional in the rear, an electrically operated glass roof is standard in the long-wheelbase version, while a two-section Panoramic glass roof with an opening front section is also available.
Another option is the Sky Lounge Panoramic glass roof, which uses the light emitted by LED modules to create the effect of a starlit sky.
