[karan561]

Likes;

- Interior Design, Ambient Lighting Implementation & Features (USP)
- Road Presence (Design, Dimensions are unlike anything you'l spot on road)
- Fantastic Engine, Gearbox & Handling (740i with the B58 in this setup is enjoyable)
- Omission of RunFlats has aced the Ride Quality (Probably the best riding 7 series of all time)

Dislikes;

- Pricing (Starts @ INR 1.70 Cr. ex-showroom, 1st few units are CBU but no price cut later).
- Exterior Design will take time getting used to (Also the rear looks bland in comparison to the front).
- Lack of engine options & no Diesel (Currently you can buy only the 40i & I think at this price it deserved a V8).
- Lack of buttons, knobs (A/C Controls too need to be accessed via the iDrive 8 screen, in the meantime BMW has already launched iDrive 8.5).

Video Review;

https://youtu.be/2g7yBM-F22c

For those who prefer text may read on;

Exterior Design;

Personally the looks have grown on me and the blocky design seems to be carved out of one single solid chunk of exotic metal;



In comparison to the front the rear feels a bit bland;



Modern interpretation of the Hofmeister Kink;



The car exudes presence for sure;



^ Note: The car has the M Sport Exterior Kit/Package (Standard for India).

Platform;

This platform was internally called '35up' before being named CLAR. This car is based on the updated CLAR platform. CLAR is the short form of Cluster Architecture & this new CLAR platform fits into BMW's "Power of Choice" strategy which means this platform enables not 1 or 2 but totally 3 combinations of drivetrains;

1) Internal Combustion + Mild hybrid
2) Internal Combustion + Plug in hybrid
3) EV (i7)

Hence providing a One platform solution for BMW. Also, the car now comes in only 1 Wheelbase. There are no "li or ld" models as its all standardised to one wheel base (Looking at the space in cabin & rear seat probably the Long Wheel base has been standardised).



Driving Experience;



The test car was a 740i which means it is gets the 3L turbo 6 cyl Petrol engine. This is the same engine which comes in the M340i but now it is hybridised & we get a 48V Mild hybrid system attached to it. Also because it is the Technical 2 update (B58TU2) it means it gets about 380 hp tune which is 40 HP more than the previous 740i but interestingly the torque number is variable between 520 NM & 540 NM because of the momentary boosts given by the mild Hybrid system attached to the engine. The mild hybrid system not only helps in power but also efficiency as everytime you let off the accelerator the deceleration energy is stored in the hybrid system's generator & helps in coasting for cruising at constant speeds therefore increasing efficiency & reducing emissions.



The 0-100 km/h acceleration numbers quoted by the factory are typically BMW modest as in reality it feels like a 5 Second car. Never did the car feel underpowered in any situation, but the driving experience could have been enhanced with better material selection for the paddle shifter. Also a V8 would suit the personality of the car more, Interestingly the V8 is now called 760i indicating there may not be a V12.

This car debuts the new 8-speed Steptronic Sport transmission, which is standard across all combustion-engine variants.

Driving Modes;

This 7th Gen All New 7 Series gets 7 Driving Modes;

Expressive Mode
Digital Art Mode
Efficient Mode
Relax Mode
Sport Mode
Theatre Mode
Personal Mode

The Vehicle Dynamics, Displays & Interior Ambiance are altered based on the driving mode selected.

However some of the Modes (Digital Art, Theatre) are more psychological & visual drama than technical.

Handling / Suspension;



Handling remains true to BMW genetics as the car is able to mask its weight and dimensions very well to achieve confidence inspiring driver involvement.

Important to note that the car gets a 2 axle Air suspension with electric dampers which have the capability to maintain the ride height irrespective of where the passengers are seated. This really changes the overall stance of the car at high speeds or braking situations to give it a proper ASSURED handling experience. This generation gets Wider Tracks (Front > 1.9 inch, Rear > 0.16 inch) to provide remarkable agility & steering response. Note: The test car did not have rear wheel steering.



The suspension feels agile and well tuned, as it is adaptive it drops about 10 mm in Sport Mode (above 140 km/h) & for rough roads and speed breakers it can be raised by 20mm from the standard ride height.

I have driven the new gen. S Class too which feels comparatively floaty where as this All New 7 series just does the handling job better.

Ride Quality;

This luxury sedan sedan’s double-wishbone front suspension and five-link rear suspension provides great levels of ride comfort at all speeds. However let's immediately appreciate the fact that BMW has omitted the runflats (finally) and this contributes greatly to the ride quality.

Front;



^ 255/45 R20

Rear;



^ 285/40 R20

The body rigidity has been enhanced for this new gen G70 7 series which adds a sense of unshakability over road undulations & expansion joints. This All New 7 gets new hydro mounts for the rear axle subframe which are another factor contributing to the vehicle’s enhanced ride comfort. The suspension’s air supply is controlled individually for each wheel, making it possible to balance out an unevenly loaded car which not only aids handling (mentioned above) but also the comfort levels. More comfort for the rear passengers as there are New rod end bearings for the rear dampers which are designed to bring a improvement in ride quality over small bumps and undulations on the road. Do note that the test car had 20" rims but still the comfort levels were similar to CKD S Class riding on 19"ers which I drove few months back. To be honest the 7 was never the best riding car in the segment but with this all new generation it has closed the gap with the S Class to a great extent.

Interior Experience;

The rear executive seat experience and the cabin ambience, material selection feels Modernly Rejuvenating;



^ Interestingly Sunroof (Non Openable) blinds fold in forward direction, designed for more headroom at the back.

Coming to the centre console, it is definitely beautifully designed and looks Futuristically Elegant;



^ The Crystal - Glass finish on the dashboard discreetly houses the Ambient lighting which is fascinatingly intuitive.

In Sport Mode the ambient lighting lights up in the M Colours;



The glass elements continues on the door trim and this theme is also implemented on the seat controls, gear selector & the idrive controller.

Note: Music System is a 20 speaker 655 watt Bowers & Wilkins unit.



A Closer look at the newly designed M Sport steering wheel of the all new 7 Series;



Its Interesting to note that it’s also a flat-bottomed wheel, something that BMW has typically stayed away from in the past. Overall love the implementation of design & skeletonized metal spokes.

Final Thoughts;

The All New 7 Series seems to have redefined this Highly Exclusive Luxury Mobility Segment like never before & makes the time on-board (Rear Seat + Driver's Seat) a truly rewarding experience.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[shauryadabas]

Excellent review as usual karan561. I agree with your thoughts on rear styling. Looks very similar to a 2 series, except the size of course!

[GTO]

Great review, Karan! Thanks for sharing.

Am sure it drives really well, but my main deal-breaker will be that front-end design. I am a sucker for aesthetics and could never live with that face (which only a mother could love). To me, it looks like a car designed to kill from some horror movie.

Don't get me wrong, I like the side & rear, but the front is just over the top

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWOuV6TqOL4

Karan, how is it versus the S-Class for outright luxury, interior opulence and backseat comfort?

[LousyRanger]

Thanks for the great review, Karan. Enough has been (rightly) said about the ugly face of the car. The interior, however, seems very well done. Love the execution of the ambient lighting. Not tacky at all.

Off topic: I've been following your Youtube channel for a while now, and love your focus on the technical aspects of the vehicles. I know it's not your full time job, but would love it if you could review more cars from the Indian market.

[AKSarkar1]

Extremely well-written review, thanks for sharing!

For me the interiors of this car are absolutely next level, but I wish I could say the same about the exterior. It definitely is a unique or may I say contemporary design style which is definitely not to my taste. Maybe this is the oldie inside of me speaking, but on any given day would I take a 2010 7 series over this one just because of how it looks.

[corner_craver]

Originally Posted by shauryadabas

Excellent review as usual karan561. I agree with your thoughts on rear styling. Looks very similar to a 2 series, except the size of course!

Can't agree more. I was checking the 2 series coupe. The SA said coupe and grand coupe are exactly the same except for the extra doors. I thought how ill-informed.

As I was driving out, I said to my mom, look at the rear of the 2 gran coupe, how ugly looking it is and she compares it with the beautiful coupe until I come very close to the car to realize it was a 7!

[Strider24]

A month back I was at Zurich Airport ,catching my flight back to Mumbai, there at Arrival side I saw not 1 or 2 but 9 BMW 7 series' parked in one row. Interestingly all of them sporting the Registration Nos. 'VIP-1', 'VIP-2' etc. I was just dumbstruck at the site .

In flash the car is really Big and has immense road presence for a low slung sedan, the price tag ensure that only VIPs can have it. Switzerland being Switzerland ensures that all of their VIPs are treated with the latest model of BMW flagships.

[SoumenD]

Although am not a prospective customer, but if am allowed to have an opinion, that front end design is just HIDEOUS. Just can't live with that

[Nilesh5417]

Great review as always. I think the color you pick will go a long way in making the car look macho or ugly. It definitely isn't sleek or what ever else we attach as adjective to a sedan.
That digital dashboard is stunning! The interiors as always seem well put together and luxurious. And i love how those wheels fill in the wheel arches. But really no diesel - somehow i don't think the hybrid will match the economy figures of a diesel for this barge.

[Mustang Sammy]

Nice review, and this car truly defines sporty luxury.
That hideous front end though. I know it looks very different, but the ugliness brings back memories of another unforgettable vehicle

https://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/ima...ek-1112_14.jpg

[karan561]

Originally Posted by shauryadabas

Excellent review as usual karan561.

Thanks Shaurya.

Looks very similar to a 2 series, except the size of course!

Good observation.

Originally Posted by GTO

Great review, Karan! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks GTO

Am sure it drives really well, but my main deal-breaker will be that front-end design. I am a sucker for aesthetics and could never live with that face (which only a mother could love). To me, it looks like a car designed to kill from some horror movie.

Don't get me wrong, I like the side & rear, but the front is just over the top
https://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=iWOuV6TqOL4

I Agree, the front looks may be a deal breaker for many however in real life its acceptable if specced well (See the attached pic below in Aventurine Red + Black - Dual Tone)

Karan, how is it versus the S-Class for outright luxury, interior opulence and backseat comfort?

Back seat space & experience is better in the 7 series for sure.

Originally Posted by LousyRanger

Thanks for the great review, Karan. Enough has been (rightly) said about the ugly face of the car. The interior, however, seems very well done. Love the execution of the ambient lighting. Not tacky at all.

Yes, the interior ambience has been implemented very well & in line with the 7 driving modes.

Off topic: I've been following your Youtube channel for a while now, and love your focus on the technical aspects of the vehicles. I know it's not your full time job, but would love it if you could review more cars from the Indian market.

Thanks for your appreciation towards my content making style, surely will try to film/review more mass market Indian cars in the future

Originally Posted by AKSarkar1

Extremely well-written review, thanks for sharing!

Thanks Sarkar.

Originally Posted by Strider24

A month back I was at Zurich Airport ,catching my flight back to Mumbai, there at Arrival side I saw not 1 or 2 but 9 BMW 7 series' parked in one row. Interestingly all of them sporting the Registration Nos. 'VIP-1', 'VIP-2' etc. I was just dumbstruck at the site .

In flash the car is really Big and has immense road presence for a low slung sedan, the price tag ensure that only VIPs can have it. Switzerland being Switzerland ensures that all of their VIPs are treated with the latest model of BMW flagships.

Thanks for sharing this story, I can visualise the scene.

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Although am not a prospective customer, but if am allowed to have an opinion, that front end design is just HIDEOUS. Just can't live with that

Originally Posted by Nilesh5417

Great review as always. I think the color you pick will go a long way in making the car look macho or ugly.

100 % Agree ! For me this is the ultimate spec;

But really no diesel - somehow i don't think the hybrid will match the economy figures of a diesel for this barge.

True.

Originally Posted by Mustang Sammy

Nice review, and this car truly defines sporty luxury.
That hideous front end though. I know it looks very different, but the ugliness brings back memories of another unforgettable vehicle

https://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/ima...ek-1112_14.jpg

Thanks Sammy.

Yes, the Aztek references are being made, but that happened during the launch of the Urus as well.

[iFrag]

That front half is like a Frankenstein's monster, its not as tasteful like S Class or classy as the A7.

BMW need to up the ante on the front facia across their line up.

[androdev]

Awesome review, @karan561! This car interiors are amazing and would be a lot better than CKD S-Class but I think BMW missed an opportunity to take advantage of the fact that Mercedes took a step backwards in terms of the looks of W223 compared to W222.

Evolution is a proven strategy (Mercedes, Porsche, Land Rover) compared to frequent "revolutions". I feel brands like BMW, Jaguar are spooked by the changing automative landscape and are throwing away their legacy and identity driven by panic and lack of confidence in their own identity. At the very least, they are overreacting.

I haven't driven this car but S-Class has really mastered the art of providing a super relaxed experience - just about everything is painstakingly fine-tuned to prevent sudden changes. No quick acceleration/gear-shifts, no sharp braking, no slamming of doors, soft-close of glovebox, etc. Lights, music, a/c, etc. everything come on/goes out with the just the right amount of fade. You just simply can't do anything that's abrupt in an S-Class. Kind of reminds me of this:

Goldilocks went upstairs. She lay down on the big bed and said, "This bed is too hard!" She lay on the medium bed and said, "This bed is too soft!" She lay down on the small bed and said, "This bed is just right." She fell asleep.

[Arsenic]

Great review!

When I did a walkaround of the G70 7er, what impressed me above all was the material quality. Everything feels and looks extremely plush and beautiful, and I’m glad BMW is learning something from Rolls-Royce.

…unfortunately, one thing they didn’t learn from Rolls-Royce is how to make an elegant-looking car. The one time I saw a G70 on the road, I was genuinely horrified by the looks. Especially since this was at night, when the grille is illuminated and the massive honker is extremely well-defined.

The previous gen 7-Series always was a cost-effective alternative to the S-Class for rental fleets, but because of the exorbitant pricing I don’t think there will be many a rental car company wanting one of these.

And that’s where BMW seems to have erred. They lost their possible fleet customers to Audi thanks to the A8L’s incredibly VFM pricing, and I don’t think they’ll be able to steal S-Class customers simply because of the allure of the three-pointed star on the hood.

That being said, this car is extremely feature loaded and the rear seats are exceptional, so while the 740i is in need of a price correction, I’d argue that the i7 is actually priced decently when you factor in how much more luxury you get over competitors like the E-Tron GT and the EQS.

The real knockout punch would’ve been the 60i (which is now a V8 and not a V12) powertrain honestly. But with emissions norms and BMW cutting out the quicker powertrain options from its Indian range, there isn’t much chance of us getting the 760i anytime soon.