BMW is sharpening the profile of its flagship models in the luxury segment. The new edition of the BMW 7 Series makes a clear statement of intent with its confident presence, sophisticated elegance and strikingly innovative control/operation, driver assistance and connectivity technology. The new exterior design of the luxury sedan showcases its prestige and status more vividly than ever.
BMW is sharpening the profile of its flagship models in the luxury segment. The new edition of the BMW 7 Series makes a clear statement of intent with its confident presence, sophisticated elegance and strikingly innovative control/operation, driver assistance and connectivity technology. The new exterior design of the luxury sedan showcases its prestige and status more vividly than ever. And on the inside, sumptuous leather trim with extended quilting and optimised acoustic comfort, not to mention the digital display grouping of instrument cluster and Control Display, the BMW Operating System 7.0 and the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, set new benchmarks in wellbeing and comfort on the move.
The line-up of power units for the new BMW 7 Series has also been updated and includes a new eight-cylinder engine, a six-cylinder in-line unit and plug-in hybrid systems offering extended electric range. All of the model variants already meet the stipulations of the Euro 6d-Temp emissions standard. And the driver assistance systems now boast a broader range of functionality. The latest advances towards automated driving are highlighted by technology such as the new Reversing Assistant.
Exterior design: more muscular presence and precise elegance
The new BMW 7 Series will again be offered in two body variants, the longer of which translates its extra 14 centimetres of wheelbase into a similar on-board space gain for the rear-seat passengers. 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 extensive design refresh at the front end – which now rises 50 millimetres taller at its foremost point – plays a particularly prominent role in giving the new BMW 7 Series its more powerful visual presence. The new bonnet has more sharply cut contour lines and a larger BMW roundel. The dominant force of the reworked front end is the BMW kidney grille, with its single-piece surround, whose surface area has grown by some 40 per cent. The grille teams up with the slimmer headlights to create a stylistically appealing contrast and add a new strand to the character of BMW’s luxury-class models. BMW Laserlight with a high-beam range of up to 560 metres can be specified as an alternative to the standard Adaptive LED Headlights.
The outer air intakes in the lower section of the front apron are now overlaid with large air deflectors. These guide the onrushing air efficiently to the brake air ducts and the Air Curtains, which help to minimise turbulence around the wheel arches. These plates – painted in body colour – and the newly designed decorative chrome strips lend the bumper trim a sense of sophisticated elegance, imbuing the car’s nose with additional visual impact.
The Air Breathers, in newly upright form, also exude precision, clarity and solidity. Integrated into the side panels of the refreshed 7 Series, these air outlets now extend much further upwards and their trim strips form a 90-degree angle with the side trim elements, which reach all the way into the rear apron.
The modified rear apron adopts the design language of the air intake trim at the front of the car. The integrated exhaust tailpipes have broader chrome surrounds, while the three-dimensional rear lights of the new BMW 7 Series are around 35 millimetres slimmer than on the outgoing car and cut a sophisticated, precise figure. Their LED light sources are positioned behind red and black surfaces arranged to emphasise their L-shaped contour. 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.
The M Sport package, Design Pure Excellence line and new additions to the selection of exterior paint finishes and light-alloy wheels provide fresh scope for individualisation. Added to which, extended BMW Individual high-gloss Shadow Line is now available as an option in conjunction with the M Sport package.
The interior: luxurious ambience exudes style and sophistication
Inside the new BMW 7 Series, generous levels of space, choice materials, harmoniously coordinated design details and exclusive workmanship combine to create a luxurious ambience refined in every respect. Exclusive Nappa leather with extended quilting has been added to the options list. The three-dimensional surface structure – encompassing large expanses of the front and rear seat cushions and backrests, the armrests integrated in the door trim and the centre console – gives the interior an expressive feel. 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.
Optimised acoustic comfort – achieved via carefully executed refinements around the rear wheel arches, B-pillars and seatbelt outlet covers in the rear of in the new BMW 7 Series – help to enhance on-board comfort over long distances. Added to which, the side windows and rear window have thicker glass, either as standard or as part of the Comfort Glass option (depending on the model).
A stand-out feature of the newly designed standard leather steering wheel is the modified arrangement of the multifunction buttons. The likewise standard wireless charging tray for compatible mobile phones is now located just ahead of the cupholders. With its classy smoked-glass look, the optional Ambient highlight in the B-pillars blends into the new BMW 7 Series sedan’s interior ambience even more harmoniously. The latest version of the BMW Touch Command rear-seat control unit stands out with its updated hardware and BMW Operating System 7.0 software. The optional Rear-seat entertainment system now comes with a pair of 10-inch, full-HD touchscreen displays including Blu-ray player.
Powertrain: V12 with gasoline particulate filter, new V8, plug-in hybrid models now with six-cylinder in-line engine.
