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By
ALISTAIR KENNEDY in Dresden
13 October 2008
BMW has launched the latest version of its 7 Series saloon and
it’s a remarkable piece of automotive technology wrapped in an
elegant new body.
While
there are bound to be varying opinions on the styling of the new
BMW flagship it gets a definite nod from us. In particular we like
the powerful new grille, kidney shaped of course, but much taller
than before.
In
profile the new 7 Series retains the sweeping rear roofline from
the previous model, stretched on the long wheelbase variant, but
now has a distinctive single crease-line that runs along the
shoulder-line for the entire length of the car dissecting both
front and rear door handles on the way.
Initially
the new 7 Series will be produced with the choice of three
engines. The 740i and 740Li, to be powered by a 3.0-litre
straight-six twin-turbo petrol; 750i/750 Li by a 4.4-litre V8
twin-turbo petrol; and the 730d with a 3.0-litre straight-six
turbo-diesel.
The
two petrol models, in both wheelbases, are due to arrive in
Australia in March 2009, with the 730d to follow later in the
year. The latter will be first 7 Series diesel to be sold on our
market, and with both of BMW’s main competitors, Audi and
Mercedes-Benz, already offering diesel engines in their flagship
models, it will be an important addition to the range.
As
important as the powerplants are in cars such as the 7 Series,
it’s as much what’s inside them that gives them their prestige
status … and hefty price tags. And the new ‘7 certainly
doesn’t disappoint in terms of luxury inclusions and advanced
technology.
There
are so many features to describe that many will have to wait until
we report from the Australian launch and later from our extended
road tests of the cars next year. But to select a few:
The
iDrive system, which we first saw in the previous 7 Series, is
again used to control the various navigation, entertainment,
information and telecommunications within the car. Operated by a
raised round button, similar to a computer mouse in the centre
console, it was the subject of a much criticism because of its
difficulty of operation.
The
company must also be congratulated on taking heed of the
criticisms and working on countering them, something that it’s
done moderately well, because the new iDrive is an improvement on
the old one, with a more logical menu structure that’s
reasonably easy to learn.
Another
important safety aid in the 7 Series is the Head-Up display which
projects a range of information onto the windscreen, allowing the
driver to view it without averting their eyes from the road. This
information can include satellite navigation instructions, speed,
and the current speed limit, the latter identified through a
combination of a camera fitted to the interior mirror and the
SatNav system. During our test drive the system appeared to
correctly identify changing speed limits on most occasions.
Night
Vision is another fascinating safety feature. Using a thermal
imaging camera combined with a control unit it can detect people
and animals that are outside of the car’s headlight beam and
display them on the control monitor and/or Head-Up display. For
Australian drivers who need to travel long distances at night with
the ever-present risk of encountering roaming kangaroos and other
animals, the system could be a real life-saver, both for human and
wildlife.
The
new 7 Series, the fifth generation since it debuted back in 1977,
marks the end of the ‘E’ series of chassis codes that have
identified BMW models since the late 1960s, with the short
wheelbase variant being designated F01 and long wheelbase one F02.
We
were able to attend the car’s world premiere at the recent Paris
Motor Show and then to drive both the 730d and 750Li during the
international press launch based at Dresden in the east of
Germany. The drive program covered around 300 kilometres on a
blend of motorway and rural roads, including some unlimited-speed
stretches of autobahn.
Acceleration
is fast and seamless with the feeling that the 7 Series could
cruise effortlessly all day, in superb comfort.
Fuel
consumption from the 730d, as listed under European Union tests,
is rated at 7.2 litres per 100 kilometres. Our testing had the
diesel using a still-reasonable 9.1 L/100 km although this did
include high-speed autobahn running. The 740i and 750i, again
under EU tests, are listed at 9.9 and 11.4 L/100 km.
Australian
prices for the new 7 Series won’t be announced until closer to
the release around March 2009, but, based on competitors’
pricing, and with the proposed increase in luxury sales tax, we
would expect them to start at around $210,000 for the 730i and
740i models.
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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