Cape Town – Being at the pinnacle of a prestigious manufacturer is no easy feat, especially when it’s a BMW.
It’s been 45 years since the BMW 7 Series first saw the light and since then it’s been at the top of the BMW luxury pile, and the new seventh generation continues that tradition very nicely, thank you.
Let’s get the grille elephant in the room out of the way first, though. It seems most people either love it or hate it, with a handful on the fence. In the 7 Series it certainly can’t be missed either in photos or certainly in the metal. Given the size of the car and the statement the 7 makes in unadulterated luxury and sheer presence, I feel the grille complements it well, especially with a two-tone paint option.
The rest of the BMW range I’m not so sure of, though.
BMW will be offering three different power plants topped by the all-electric i7 xDrive 60, fitted with an electric motor to each axle with a total output of 400kW and 745Nm, which BMW says will take you to 100km/h in 4.7 seconds.
The BMW i7 is fitted with fifth generation BMW eDrive technology for faster charging, better battery life, improved regenerative charging and better energy management. According to BMW, it has a range of 590 to 625 kilometres and can recharge 80% of the battery in 35 minutes with a DC fast charger.
If you’re off-grid or lucky enough to have an uninterrupted power supply from you know who, it should take about 10 hours to charge. Interestingly, BMW says they use no rare earth materials in the batteries.
The 740i has BMW’s incredibly smooth six-cylinder petrol engine coupled to an eight-speed Steptronic transmission with a 48V mild hybrid system providing an overall output of 280kW and 540Nm.
The BMW 740d xDrive, also a 48V mild hybrid, is set to launch in Q2 this year. It has their in-line six-cylinder diesel mill connected to the same Steptronic transmission with overall outputs of 220kW and 650Nm.
It’s the kind of car that serious money would opt for and, if you have it, why not throw in a chauffeur while you’re at it?
Ultra-luxurious cabin – you’ll want to be in the back
In a glimpse into the lifestyle of the rich and famous, we were driven to our lunch venue by a young gentleman who, at the push of a button, opened the doors for us to enter the cocoon of luxury.
As you would expect, almost everything is digital and I reckon you’ll need more than just a week or two to figure out how everything works.
In the door panels there are 5.5-inch touch screen control units from where you can manage things like entertainment, lighting, seat settings, including massage options and whether you’d like the blinds up or down.
The party piece, though, is the 31.3-inch theatre touch screen connected to a 35-speaker Bowers & Wilkens surround sound system that allows you to play movies, access YouTube, play games and anything else you would normally do on your screen at home, except you’ll be in theatre mode with the blinds and dual skyroof closed and the 5G-compatible aerial system providing your feed.
And if you’ve had a tough day at the office and feel like a nap, there’s a reclining function similar to a business class international flight that will allow you to fully flatten the seat.
It’s clear from the quality of the interior that no expense has been spared to make it a special place to be, whether you’re a passenger or behind the wheel.
Swarowski crystal switchgear, almost invisible air vents adjusted by sliding your finger at the bottom of the vent, and superior surfaces abound everywhere and what BMW calls “Veganza”, a new type of faux leather available in four colours. For M Sport owners there’s Merino leather, Cashmere or a combination of both.
In keeping with the digital age, there’s a curved glass display consisting of a 12.3-inch information display behind the steering wheel and a 14.9-inch control display, all very smooth and easy to use, fitted with BMW’s iDrive and Operating System 8.
The personal assistant fitted to the 7 makes things a tad easier without having to go into the various menus so you can “hey BMW” it to set the various seat massage options, temperature or ask it to close/open the rear blinds.
What’s it like to drive?
I’m not yet fully convinced by the virtues of electric vehicles; however, in the i7 xDrive it sits well.
As with all EVs, acceleration is instantaneous and the changes to the chassis, larger tracks and wheels, two-axle air suspension and the optional Integral Active Steering make it the best handling 7 Series yet, and that’s saying something.
It’s certainly not the type of car that’s likely to go careering around like a teenager but it’s surprisingly nimble for its size and weight and, thanks to the electric motors, passing slower vehicles happens in the blink of an eye before you settle down to cruising speed again.
If I had that kind of money I would probably settle for the 740i with its sublime petrol engine and incredibly smooth transmission that never seems to want to stop picking up speed.
There’s virtually no wind noise and even less road noise as a result of the incredible attention to the car’s sound dampening, and you have to pay attention to notice the subtle difference in handling because of the six cylinders upfront rather than the lower centre of gravity provided by the EV’s batteries.
If you’re driving within set parameters, there’s no driver input needed with the Level 3 Autonomy fitted to the 7-Series.
Standard specification includes front collision warning for oncoming traffic, pedestrians and cyclists, a parking and reversing assistant, while there’s an option for steering and lane control active navigation, traffic light recognition, lane change assistant, and manoeuvre assistant.
So, basically it has every bell and whistle you can think of, or haven’t for that matter, which makes the BMW 7-Series a very special car for the select few that have BMW blood in their veins and a lot of money.
BMW 7 Series Pricing (January 2023)
Design Pure Excellence:
740i – R2 160 00
740d xDrive – R2 280 000
i7xDrive60 – R2 825 000
M Sport Package
740i – R2 235 000
740d xDrive – R2355 000
i7 xDrive60 – R2 900 000
M Sport Package Pro
740i – R2 275 000