Every single day auto makers thrive hard to make the automobile more
efficient and powerful. And to differentiate their offerings in a
crowded market place, car makers also come up with a host of new comfort
features.
BMW is one such auto maker that continues to add more features
and this is particularly true for its flagship sedan, the 7 Series. And
now there's a new one on sale.
Now, this 7 Series gets a slight cosmetic upgrade and a few
mechanical changes. But it looks very much like the outgoing car, at
least at first glance. But look closer and the changes become clearer.
The car is available in eleven exterior shades and is priced at Rs 93.9 lakh, ex-showroom, pan-India.
The front end now receives full LED headlights with adaptive
lighting, the signature corona rings are not circular anymore but more
angular in line with the new 3 and 6 Series. The headlight also gets a
separate LED strip that is both a parking light as well as an indicator.
The kidney grille has also been revised - instead of the previous
12 slats; the updated model now features nine. And at the rear, the
roofline gets a slight tweak and there is a new chrome strip connecting
the two reflectors on the bumper.
The 7 has always been known for space and comfort, and the new
model improves on these aspects. The front leather seats are newly
designed and are offer better support and comfort. The rear ones are
similar to the previous model and continue to get dedicated controls for
the iDrive system.
The iDrive system itself has moved to the latest generation
version, which we have already seen on the new 3 Series. The new system
receives new features and is more user-friendly. Moreover, the rear
entertainment package is now offered as standard and includes a 9.2-inch
monitor fitted behind the front seats. It also doubles up as the menu
for the iDrive.
In addition, the entire range of 7 Series models get updated engines with additional power and better economy.
All the engines are mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission
(the outgoing model featured a 6-speed unit), and come with fuel saving
techniques like auto start-stop, brake energy regeneration and the ECO
PRO driving mode as standard. The ECO PRO mode changes gear shift points
and optimises the climate control for better efficiency.
There are three petrol engines and one diesel engine available,
namely - BMW 760Li with a V12 engine, the BMW 740Li with the new BMW
TwinPower turbo six-cylinder engine and the BMW 750Li with an updated V8
unit. The only diesel model, the 730Ld features a six-cylinder engine
and is assembled locally while all the petrol variants are imported as
CBUs.
We tested the diesel 730Ld. The 3.0-litre turbo diesel engine now
puts out 258PS of max power at 4000rpm and 560Nm of peak torque is
available from just 1500rpm, marking an improvement of 14PS and 20Nm,
respectively.
The engine is also more refined and silent now and the power
delivery is more immediate and power packed. There is hardly any turbo
lag either and cruising at triple digit speeds comes effortlessly.
The new 8-speed torque converter transmission the engine is
coupled to shifts quickly and seamlessly. Surprisingly, there are no
paddle shifters but one can shift manually using the gear lever. There
are four driving modes to choose from - ECO PRO, Comfort, Sport and
Sport+.
The various modes change the character of the car by altering the
steering response, the gear shift points, the throttle response and the
ESP characteristics. We tested the car in Sport+ mode which cuts the
traction control, makes the engine hold on to the revs longer and
higher, and reduces the shift points to the minimum.
The resultant 0-100kmph time we managed in this mode was 6.87s
while the quarter mile took 14.94s; both figures being almost a second
quicker than of the outgoing model. The top speed of 250kmph though
remains unchanged. In terms of efficiency, the car returned 9.4kmpl in
town and stretched to an impressive 16.2kmpl on the highway translating
to an overall figure of 11.1kmpl.
The 7 Series is known for its agile handling despite its size, a
50:50 weight distribution between the axles helps achieve this. The
updated model retains the same dynamic character. Despite a large
footprint, the car feels more like a smaller car to drive around town.
It offers an impressive ride thanks to the adaptive suspension
and higher profile 18-inch run-flat tyres. On undulated surfaces and
potholes, the car glides without complain and at higher speeds, the car
feels planted with the electric steering weighing up well and offering
good feedback.
In terms of features the car comes standard with a new-generation
navigation package, 6 park assist cameras, a glass roof; massage
function for rear seats and folding rear tables among many others. One
can also opt for a colour head-up display and night vision from the
options list.
The car is available in eleven exterior shades and the 730Ld is
priced at Rs 93.9 lakh, ex-showroom, pan-India (up by Rs 8 lakh).
This is the last update for the F02 platform till its successor
arrives sometime in 2015. The Audi A8L though is a lot newer and offers a
better package. The S-class meanwhile is set for a generation change
soon and is expected to take the pinnacle of luxury motoring to an
entirely new level. But, before that happens, it's time for BMW to
cash-in till the sun shines
