New Car Reviews- BMW 7 Series

The BMW 7-Series is a full-size 4-door luxury sedan offered in the rear wheel drive (RWD) version. It is German automaker BMW's flagship car and available in a single body-style.

The 7-Series was launched in other countries way back in 1977 but has been brought to India only in 2007. There have been four generations of the 7-Series; the first-generation was launched in 1977 and the fourth-generation in 2002. The fourth-generation has been revamped quite a few times.

The 7-Series is available in four variants, out of which three are petrol and one is diesel. The petrol variants are 740Li, 750Li and 760Li, whereas 730Ld is the diesel variant.

In 2005, the 7-Series received a complete face-lift for it front and rear design. The rear was made sleeker by reducing the "Bangle Butt" design. New taillights and a reduced trunk lid height complemented this newly designed rear. The frontal fascia was redesigned for a bolder stance and the entire assembly of headlights, kidney grille, air dam, and fog lights were raised a few inches. The variety of engines available also increased.

In 2007, the interior of the 7-Series was revamped again. However, the exterior received an update rather than a redesign by making a new selection of rims available as optional and introducing electrically-adjustable mirrors as standard equipment on all 7-Series variants.

The BMW 7-Series comes with a basic vehicle warranty and a drivetrain warranty of 4 years or 50,000 miles. Its main competitors in the market are the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the Jaguar XJ, the Volkswagen Phaeton, the Lexus LS, and the Audi A8.

With four variants, the BMW 7-Series offers a choice of four engines. The 740Li comes with a 4.0-liter engine, which generates 306 bhp and 390 Nm of torque. The 750Li is powered by a 4.8-liter engine that churns out 367 bhp and 490 Nm of torque. The 760Li comes fitted with a 6.0-liter engine, which issues 445 bhp and 600 Nm of torque. The 730Ld is powered by a 3.0-liter diesel engine that produces 231 bhp and 520 Nm of torque.

All the engines are linked to a standard 6-speed automatic transmission (AT) with a Steptronic system.

All variants of the BMW 7-Series ride on light-weight double-joint spring strut front axle suspension with aluminum track control arms and aluminum integral rear axle suspension. Front and rear anti-roll bars are also standard on all variants. Adaptive Drive including Electronic Damper Control (EDC) and Dynamic Drive suspension is standard on the 760Li, but optional on other variants. All the variants, except for the 760Li, are available with the option of sports-tuned suspension in conjunction with Dynamic Drive suspension.

All the variants feature disc brakes at the front with aluminum swing calipers and disc brakes at the rear with inner-vented iron swing calipers. An electro-mechanical parking brake with auto-hold function is also common to all.

The BMW 7-Series epitomizes style, power, performance, and comfort. The 7-Series can give any other car a complex with its smooth lines and wide, intimidating stance. The 740Li, 750Li, 760Li, and 730Ld measure 5179 mm in length and their wheelbase is 3128 mm long.

The front fascia of the 7-Series is marked by an ornamental, chrome surround front grille with chrome-plated vertical slats, which features a BMW insignia on its forehead. Body-coloured front and rear bumpers with chrome-plated trim strips also add to its style quotient. Electrically-adjustable exterior mirrors and tinted glass are also common to all the variants.

All variants with the exception of 760Li roll on 17-inch light-alloy wheels. The 760Li comes standard with 18-inch light-alloy wheels, though the option of 19-inch or 20-inch light-alloy wheels is available on all variants.

The BMW 7-Series is available with the option of electrically-adjustable seats. Power comfort seats at the rear are optional on all variants except for the 760Li, which comes standard with them. Electric seat adjustment for driver and front passenger with memory function for the driver's seat and exterior mirrors is standard on the 740Li and 760Li, while it is optional on all the other variants.

The 740Li, 750Li, 760Li and 730Ld offer a superior comfort with standard Nasca leather upholstery. The option of Full Leather Club upholstery is an option available on all variants.

The BMW 7-Series features standard power windows and power door locks. A multi-function, electrically-adjustable power steering and a rear wiper are standard on all the variants. All variants also feature a standard rain sensor including headlight and windscreen wiper control with anti-mist sensor. Some other options available on all the variants include a 6-DVD changer and a rear monitor including controller for rear seats.

The 7-Series also takes care of its occupants' safety. Its sturdy structure includes deformation zones at the front as well as rear, door reinforcements made of aluminum, side impact protection, and roof crossbar.

All the variants come loaded with safety features such as driver and front-passenger airbags, seat occupancy detection for front passenger airbag, and front and rear head and side airbags. Also standard are inertia-reel seat belts, central locking with electronic immobilizer, crash sensor, tyre defect indicator, Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), and Dynamic Stability Control including traction mode. All variants also possess a steering with crash-optimized safety steering column

Active cruise control is optional on the 7-Series. The 760Li comes standard with an alarm system with remote control and a front and rear Park Distance Control (PDC) with visual message, while these features are optional on the other variants. The PDC is a parking-assist technology that employs internal robotics to park the car using a combination of sensors.