BMW 7 series

Highlights

The famous Luxury-Sports car manufacturer from Germany, BMW, is expected to launch its newest flagship – the 7-Series, at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show, which is scheduled in September this year. With over 25 revolutionary technologies and four turbochargers under its hood, the next-gen 7-Series is bound to make a dent in the pockets of its competitors.

Overview

BMW is famous for manufacturing cars that provide an amalgamation of sportiness under the hood, and ample luxury and comfort in the cabin. Every product in its portfolio reflects the company's aim to provide driver-oriented cars, without sacrificing basic comforts of other occupants. The 7-Series, which was first introduced in the year 1977, is often referred to as the German manufacturer's flagship offering. It is designed to deliver high class luxury comforts, while maintaining BMW's performance inclination under its hood. This full-size luxury vehicle is available as a sedan or an extended wheelbase limousine, and is the pioneer product for BMW, that introduces future technologies and design themes, before they are passed down to BMW's smaller sedans. The car received its fifth facelifted in 2008, and has since been selling like hot cakes. The German marque has now decided to put it under the knife once more, and hence, the sixth-generation BMW 7 Series will likely make its debut around Autumn this year. With competitors like Tesla, Mercedes Benz, and Cadillac showing signs of growth in the ultra-luxury segment, and new Korean entrants nibbling a thin slice of the pie as well, BMW has finally decided to reclaim its lost ground with the new 7-Series. Despite the fact that the current 7-series has some top-of-the-line features, BMW has further added 25 new technologies in this Luxury sedan, that are bound to change the way the car is amounted in its segment. The current BMW is offered in 7 trims : 730 Li, 740 Li, 750 Li, 750 Li xDrive, 760 Li, 730 Ld, and 750 Ld xDrive. Though it is not yet apparent how the company would refresh this nomenclature, the refreshed 7-Series will likely produce a higher power ranking than its predecessor. The current top-of-the-line 760i and 760 Li variants are powered by a 6.0L twin-turbo that produces 544 hp and 750 Nm of torque. In its refreshed avatar, the 2016 7 series would definitely pack enhanced power figures, along with high-tech equipments that aid driver comfort and safety. If speculations are to be believed, a new trim level, M750d, will be powered by a 3.0L engine equipped with four gas guzzling turbochargers, that would increase the power output to “well over” 400 horses, while the torque would be rated around the 590 lb-ft mark. Though its uncertain whether BMW would provide the engine universally, or it would be an exclusive offering for limited markets. With all this added power, BMW would need to provide sufficient safety equipments, that could safeguard occupants in case of a crash. This area would be handled by on-board technologies like ABS (Antilock Braking System), EBD (Electronic Brake-Force Distribution), traction control systems, and ARS (Anti Roll Stabilization). Though it is early to judge the overall aspects of the next generation 7-series, lets find out what all does it pack as per leaked speculations.

Exteriors

The biggest innovation used in designing exteriors of this new 7 Series lies in the fact that BMW engineers have used a mixture of high-strength steel, aluminum, magnesium, and carbon fiber panels in order to limit weight of the bulky limousine. All these efforts have resulted in shaving 285 pounds from the base weight, and lowering the car's center of gravity. The overall design still reflects BMW's traditional elegance flowing in harmony with a few aggressive lines that are an indicative of the brute of an engine lying under its hood. The front fascia is home to striking adaptive Laser equipped headlamps, along with Xenon rings. A wide kidney grille with chrome inserts ensure that the car can never be misjudges as an offering from some other manufacturer, while giving it a planted stance. Short overhangs and long bonnet area is i-line with BMW's traditional design language, and gives the car an aggressive character. Taillights too get the LED treatment and the sloping roof subtly houses a shark fin antenna, which gives a sleek profile to the car's derrière.

Exterior Measurements

Though BMW has managed to keep the car's basic dimension under wraps till the official Frankfurt Motor Show launch, experts suggest that it might get slightly enhanced dimensions than the current generation model, that tips the scale at 5079 mm X 1902 mm X 1471 mm (L x W x H).

Interiors

Known for providing driver-oriented yet luxurious interiors, BMW has loaded the next-gen 7 Series with an interior ambiance which will motivate prospective Mercedes S-Class customers to step into the Bimmer once, and may force them to give a second thought to their buying decisions. In addition to all luxurious amenities that were on-board the current gen 7-er, BMW has further equipped the upcoming sedan with gesture control, panorama sky lounge LED roof, wireless charging, 7-inch touch command tablet, near field communication (NFC), touch sensing ambiance light pillar, and the flexibility to either choose from Eco, Comfort, Comfort+, Sport and Sport+ modes, or to simply put the car in adaptive driving mode. This new entrant in the driving mode options list uses two forard looking cameras, GPS, throttle-foot pressure and steering inputs, and then accordingly adjusts the steering, throttle and suspension sensitivity.

Interior Comfort

Though BMW is famous for prioritizing driving experience in their cars, the 7-series does not loose any of its comfort elements just for the sake of enhancing the car's dynamic capabilities. Even when the driver presses the throttle pedal to the metal and enjoys hard cornering, other occupants of the 7-series can feel cozy, thanks to the appropriately sized seats that provide ample amounts of under-thigh and lumbar support. The seats also get memory function, that mutates the seating position according to the seating posture of the occupant. Moreover, the highly-efficient air conditioning system is equipped with automatic climate control that can alter interior temperature with respect to the ambient weather conditions, in order to optimize comfort levels. BMW has further provided decent amounts of storage spaces that enhance practicality and day-to-day usage convenience. Cup holders in the armrest are placed in an ergonomic position, that can hold you favourite drink on long highway cruises.

Interior Measurements

The long wheelbase and sufficiently wide cabin ensure that the new 7-series will have a spacious interior ambiance, along with decently sized boot space, that would be scaled in close proximity of the current sedan's 510 litre capacity.

Engine and Performance

Despite getting comprehensive updates in the exteriors, interiors, and technological domain, the new 7-series does not feature any enthralling renovation under its hood. Similar to its previous iteration, the new 7 is equipped with turbocharged six, eight, and twelve cylinder engines, that are mated to a ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox. The only major point to be noted here is the presence of a new trim level – M750d – that will be propelled by a 3.0L engine equipped with four turbochargers. Though the exact power figures of this engine have not yet been revealed, the four spooling turbos will make sure that the driver is thrown back into his seat by a simple tap on the throttle.

Mileage and Fuel Economy

In order to aid efficiency, the previous N55 turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine is replaced by a 3.0L 24 valve DOHC mill, that minimizes fuel consumption and provides low emissions. A reduced weight due to efficient use of materials has resulted in a slightly better fuel economy, as compared to the previous 12.6km/L figure owned by the current-gen 7-Series.

Acceleration and Pickup

Though official figures haven't surfaced yet, speculations suggest that while the Sport+ driving mode is engaged, the quad-turbo engine can accelerate this luxury sedan to 100 km/h from standstill in less than 4.5 seconds, while the aerodynamic design may result in a top whack of around 260 km/h.

Stereo and Accessories

The new BMW 7-Series has an iconic in-car entertainment system, that can recognize multiple input options. The occupants can adjust the volume through simple hand gestures, that do not require any sort of physical contact with the screen or buttons. Rear occupants can use the integrated BMW Connect tablet to access various features of the car like navigation, massage seats, power windows, stereo system and seating positions. Various options of ambient lighting colors along with 8 different fragrances complete the luxurious package for all your senses.

Braking and Handling

In order to handle all fire-spitting horses under its hood, the 7-Series is equipped with disc brakes all around and high performance calipers, that provide exceptional bite and feedback, even under hard braking. A dynamic ABS system ensures that the wheels dont lock under panic braking or on wet surfaces. In terms of handling, the light weight 7-er can corner hard and flat, with minimum longitudinal movement and body roll. The Executive Drive Pro system that senses road conditions through front faced cameras, adjusts the suspension setup to tackle rough patches. Moreover, active chassis components keep the car under perfect balance in diverse range of terrains.

Safety and Security

The BMW 7-Series is a revolutionary breakthrough in the area of occupant safety and convenience. The car can be pulled in and out of tight parking spaces and garages without druver intervention, through the smart digital display key. Laser equipped headlights increase the light spread from 300 meters in the current model to 600 meters in the 2016 model. Moreover, features like lane keeping system, active side collision protection, traffic jam assistant, steering and lane control assistant keep the occupants safe in adverse dynamic conditions. Is things turn wary, ABS and ample amount of airbags keep the occupants wee cushioned from shocks and bruises.