Overview

BMW has launched its new 7 Series flagship sedans in Australia this week, the duo retailing from $268,900 (740i) and $297,900 (i7 xDrive60) plus on-road costs – or around $34,000 more than before.

Both grow considerably over the outgoing 740iL (long wheelbase) measuring 5mm longer in wheelbase, 131mm longer in the body, 48mm wider and 65mm taller.

In our view, the car now compares more closely with the Rolls-Royce Ghost than it does the former 7 Series, especially when viewed in profile, with BMW saying the model’s “commanding presence is exemplified by monolithic surfaces and new signature front-end styling with headlights split into two sections”.

It might be the most controversial styling shift since the polarising ‘Bangle Butt’ E65-gen 7 Series from 2001. But of course, styling is subjective, and while it is a blockishly-styled vehicle, it’s impressively slippery too, with an aerodynamic number as low as 0.24Cd (i7 variants).

As a long-standing rival to the Audi A8 and Mercedes-Benz S-Class the new BMW 7 Series arrives with a substantial range of new technologies aimed at keeping it ahead of the pack.

Highlights this time around include an optional 31.3-inch BMW Theatre Screen, multi-sensory iDrive control, BMW Curved Display, and Manoeuvre Assistant for automated parking and manoeuvring  that shows “the clear potential for Level 3 automated driving and parking capabilities,” BMW says.

Comfort features extend to an Executive Lounge option (reclining seats) for the second row, Individual Merino leather and cashmere wool upholstery, a subtly lit control panel, new gearshift selector, active haptic steering wheel controls for the new D-shaped steering wheels (two designs available), BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant and augmented reality head-up display.

Available as 740i and i7 xDrive60 grades, the 7 Series range is, as expected, well specified with the petrol-powered model offering 20-inch M alloy wheels, remote engine start, tyre pressure monitoring, integral active steering, M Sport Pro, adaptive air suspension, BMW crystal headlights, illuminated kidney grille, panoramic glass roof, M carbon-fibre interior trim, and BMW’s Travel & Comfort system.

The long wheelbase model is further equipped with multifunctional front seats, heated front and rear seats, an interior camera, front seat massaging function, Driving Assistant Professional, Parking Assistant Professional, a 20-speaker Bower & Wilkins audio system, leather Merino upholstery, an Alcantara Anthracite headliner, BMW Individual metallic paint work and included five-year servicing plan.

The BMW i7 xDrive60 adds 21-inch M alloy wheels, Executive Drive Pro (with active roll stabilisation and roll comfort technology), automatic doors, multifunction rear seats, executive lounge rear console, BMW IconicSounds electric, a 39-speaker Bower & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound audio package, rear seat entertainment experience, and Gran Lusso interior with Merino and wool-cashmere combination upholstery.

BMW supplies the i7 xDrive60 with its third-generation wall charging box, a domestic charging cable, a public charging cable and a six-year inclusive service package.

Myriad options are of course available throughout the 7 Series range with Frozen matte paintwork ($2600), two-tone metallic paintwork ($17,500), Merino and wool-cashmere combination upholstery (740i: $15,800), alternate 21-inch alloy wheel designs ($2600), and BMW’s Connoisseur Lounge package 740i (740i: $27,900; i7 xDrive60: $9000) available.

Petrol-powered 7 Series variants feature a 280kW/540Nm 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder turbo-petrol unit with 48-volt mild hybrid technology. The unit is paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission and drives the rear wheels, offering a claimed 0-100km/h time of 5.4 seconds. Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures are yet to be confirmed.

The battery electric i7, meanwhile, provides 400kW/745Nm of output and drives all four wheels. Power is drawn from a 106kWh high voltage battery, BMW quoting a driving range of up to 625km (WLTP). The all-electric 7er can accelerate from standstill to 100km/h in just 4.7 seconds.

BMW says the i7 xDrive60 features fifth generation eDrive technology, which incorporates an integrated drive system, intelligent energy management, a new charging process and advanced battery-cell technology. The arrangement aims to optimise not only energy consumption but improve adaptive recuperative and charging capabilities.

The first 7 Series BEV will be offered with a complimentary five-year subscription to the Chargefox public high-speed EV charging network.

Driving Impressions

A short but circuitous drive from Melbourne’s CBD to the beautiful Yarra Valley gave us the perfect chance to sample the new 7 Series range in settings perhaps somewhat removed from the typical chauffeur shuttle.

On meandering roads through the verdant Dandenong Ranges it was remarkable to experience not only the comfort of the flagship range, but also its agility in slipping gracefully through stretches of blacktop that are perhaps better suited to a nimble five-door hatchback. Yet despite its proportions, the 7 Series felt completely at home here.

The body control offered by the combination of ingenious stabilisation technology, adaptive damping, broader wheel track front and rear, and rear-wheel steering makes this considerably sized vehicle shrink around you in a way few others of its ilk can. It feels no bigger than a 5 Series from the tiller, yet this is the largest and heaviest 7 Series ever, now closer in proportion to a Rolls-Royce Ghost or Bentley Flying Spur.

Impressively, both the petrol- and electric-powered 7 Series are equally quiet, the tone of the reciprocating engine replaced by the hum of run flat tyres in the latter to an almost identical, hushed volume. It’s a quirk that seems to present itself without any specific favour, the natural insulation of the vehicle sufficient to require no artificial noise cancelling as we’ve often experienced elsewhere.

It is a sensation that adds to the comfort levels and spaciousness of the cabin in a significant way. In appealing to touch, feel, sight and sound, the 7 Series offers a cossetting and all-encompassing sense of luxury that we feel is the very best in its segment.

Imaginative, intuitive, intelligent, and inspirational are just some of the words we heard others use to reference the cabin on launch – the novelty of some technology items perhaps the only indicator that BMW had overshot the brief.

Take for example the self-opening doors. As useful as the technology might be, we are not convinced that anyone requires seven different means by which to open a door.

Via voice, remote, touchscreen, buttons or handle, the system seems a little overdone. It’s just one of the many technologies BMW says will “trickle down” to other models in the range, meaning we could all soon face the dilemma of how best to open the car door. First-world problems, indeed.

Thankfully, other technologies offered in the 7 Series are more straightforward. The latest iDrive system feels quite instinctive to operate, as does the series of voice commands offered for just about every function imaginable. From the massaging seats to locking and window opening, driving modes and infotainment settings, the interaction between operator and machine feels remarkably perceptive, even after just a few short hours of use.

That isn’t to say every facet of the 7 Series cabin works as intended. On a warm, 38º summer day in Melbourne the big Beemer struggled to keep its occupants cool. The minimalist HVAC outlets and air-conditioned seats seemed to struggle against a sun-soaked cabin, requiring some 40 minutes of driving to attain a pleasant climate.

Air distribution just wasn’t sufficient, either. The narrow slits may appear stylish, but simply can’t deliver the volume of air required to significantly cool occupants on a warm day. We can only imagine how well the car would cope in an even warmer environment…

From the driver’s standpoint, and excusing the HVAC system’s performance, the 7er is difficult to fault. Power delivery and response, particularly from the electric variant, is nothing short of astonishing.

Pushing the pedal deep into the plush carpet of the i7 sees it leap at the horizon as if startled by something behind, the numbers of the digital speedometer grappling to keep pace with the thrust delivered.

It happens quietly and efficiently, almost as if it’s a non-event for the driveline – and it all seems rather difficult to grasp at first. Truly, a car of this size should not accelerate with such ease or haste – it’s almost giggle-worthy that it does.

Yet the 7 Series remains poised as the speedo rushes north. The car doesn’t bobble about – even over some of the more pockmarked roads encountered on our drive – remaining level and calm with seemingly little effort. In other words, there’s little the driver needs to do to keep the car in check. Just keep the nose pointed where you intend heading and the car will do the rest.

And it does so entirely without feeling as though it is being controlled by some serious computing power – which of course it is. From the hot seat, the 7 Series feels fluid and natural, offering a wonderfully engineered analogue feel that communicates openly through the ‘wheel, the seat, and of course the brake pedal.

In delivering that chauffeur-smooth experience to passengers, it is imperative a driver be in step with a vehicle’s every move, and for the 7 Series, the level of feedback offered is so rich, and yet so unassuming, that the experience feels completely organic. It truly is a remarkable thing to experience.

We noted a little noise from the multilink rear-end over some of the more pronounced corrugations found on the test loop, which seemed at odds with the whisper quiet double wishbone front. Yet, despite the occasional click, the self-levelling air setup and electronically controlled dampers stopped any unpleasant impacts from reaching the cabin and held the car’s posture dutifully when pushing along a winding stretch of road.

As we touched on a moment earlier, the braking performance offered in the ‘7’ is as remarkable as its acceleration, and as smooth as the ride. The system matches the driver’s inputs with precision and, in conjunction with some very clever regenerative tech, can provide deceleration so smooth that it’s almost imperceptible.

We’re big fans of chauffeur-soft stops and well-modulated pedals here at GoAuto, and the 7 Series truly did not disappoint.

Of course, the 7 Series can almost drive itself, and offers some of the smartest technologies we have yet to experience on that front. The trouble is, it’s such a pleasure to drive for yourself, that you’ll want to enjoy the experience as often as possible.

And it says a lot for a car that’s essentially made for someone other than the driver to enjoy. BMW has made a 7 Series that is as much a driver’s car as it is for those who ride in it, which we think speaks volumes not only to the character of the vehicle, but also the engineering within.

The car is beautifully put together, exciting in the technology it offers, wonderful to drive and extremely comfortable. You can decide for yourself if the visuals are to your taste, but please don’t allow them to deter you from a test drive. A lot of hard work has gone into making this vehicle something that is truly very special, and we think it is a car that you must experience to believe.

BMW has moved the game forward with the new 7 Series, and for customers – even those of ‘lesser’ models in the range – that means there are some very exciting times ahead.