By Staff Reporter

The updated BMW 7 Series has been around the country for some time now with some customers being able to place orders and take delivery of the range topping BMW sedan already. BMW has officially made presence of the car officially know by sharing local specification and pricing.

Exterior

The BMW 7 Series will continue to be offered in two body variants. The longer version of the luxury sedan has a wheelbase extended by 14 centimetres over the standard car – to 3,210 millimetres – and gives rear-seat passengers the extra space to match. The standard 7 Series (5,120 mm) and its long-wheelbase twin (5,260 mm) are both 22 millimetres longer than their respective predecessors. The new model’s width (1,902 mm) and height (1,467 mm / long-wheelbase version: 1,479 mm) remain unchanged.

The most striking thing about the updated 7 series is the large BMW grille. There is some thought behind that as the front end now rises 50 millimetres taller at its foremost point to play “a particularly prominent role in giving the new BMW 7 Series its more powerful visual presence,” says BMW. The new grille, reworked bonnet and slimmer headlights combine to give the sedan a sleek finish upfront. BMW Laserlight with a high-beam range of up to 560 metres can be specified as an alternative to the standard Adaptive LED Headlights.

At the back, the integrated exhaust tailpipes have broader chrome surrounds, while the three-dimensional rear L-shaped lights of the new BMW 7 Series are around 35 millimetres slimmer than on the outgoing car. Other new features include a sharply defined and very slim light strip (it measures just six millimetres in width) sited below the chrome bar, which extends across the full width of the tailgate and connects the rear lights with one other.

Rounding up the exterior look is the addition of BMW Individual high-gloss Shadow Line as an option in conjunction with the M Sport package.

Interior

Inside, there is a modified arrangement of the multifunction buttons on the newly designed standard leather steering wheel. Exclusive Nappa leather with extended quilting has been added to the options list. Also new to the range of optional interior trim strips are the fine wood variants American Oak Dark with metal inlay and Poplar Grain Metallic Grey high-gloss.

On the tech side, BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant is introduced to the BMW 7 Series. The system can be activated with the spoken prompt “Hey BMW” and helps the driver to use various vehicle functions.

Engines

The choice of power units for the new BMW 7 Series includes petrol and diesel engines with six, eight and twelve cylinders, as well as an all-new plug-in hybrid drive system. Topping the range is the 6.6-litre V12 engine at the heart of the BMW M760Li xDrive, which produces 430 kW and 850 Nm (fuel consumption combined: 9.6 – 9.5 l/100 km; 0-100 kph in 3.8 seconds). Meanwhile, the BMW 750Li xDrive features a newly developed V8 engine with 4.4-litre displacement and maximum output raised by 60 kW to 390 kW and 750 Nm (fuel consumption combined: 9.6 – 9.5 l/100 km; 0-100 kph in 4.1 seconds).

The plug-in hybrid system now employs a specially adapted six-cylinder in-line petrol engine and a more advanced high-voltage battery. As a result, the system can unleash a combined output of 290 kW and 600 Nm. The combined fuel consumption of the BMW 745 Le xDrive is between 2.6 and 2.1 litres per 100 kilometres and combined electric power consumption is 16.3 – 15.0 kWh per 100 kilometres. The 745Le will do the 0-100 kph sprint in just 5.1 seconds.

Finally, a six-cylinder in-line diesel engine with a 3.0-litre displacement and up to four turbochargers rounds off the local drive system line-up for the new BMW 7 Series. This engine makes 195 kW and 620 Nm in the 730Ld (fuel consumption combined: 5.5 – 5.3 l/100 km; 0-100 kph in 6.2 seconds).

All variants of the new BMW 7 Series feature, as standard, adaptive suspension including electronically controlled dampers and two-axle air suspension with automatic self-levelling.

Pricing

Pricing for the updated 7 Series is as follows:

• BMW 740Li – R1,638,400
• BMW 730Ld – R1,669,400
• BMW 745Le xDrive – R1,755,300
• BMW 750Li – R2,156,700
• BMW M760Li xDrive – R2,806,400
• BMW M760 Li xDrive V12 Excellence – R2,806,400