The luxurious 2024 BMW 7 Series is a world-class executive sedan designed for both driver enjoyment and passenger comfort.
As the flagship sedan for the luxury brand, the 7 Series must embody the very best of what BMW has to offer. Offered with a fully electric powertrain (i7) or a gas engine, the 7 Series revels in both flashy features and finer details, like all great luxury cars should. Here are five standout features that add up to give you the full executive experience.
Punchy Powertrain
The BMW 760i’s remarkably smooth and endlessly powerful 4.4L twin-turbocharged V8 is augmented beautifully by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that helps highlight its best features. Outputting 544 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque on its own, the V8 is a force, but the mild-hybrid system enhances the powertrain’s already impressive smoothness, which is a cornerstone of any good luxury car.
The mild-hybrid system doesn’t do much to help fuel economy, but it allows the big sedan’s climate control to continue running even if the engine is turned off while waiting at a stoplight, it ensures the stop-start system runs imperceptibly, and it smooths out shifts from the eight-speed automatic transmission.
While it’s built for swift gliding on the Autobahn and not winning drag races, the 760i can accelerate to 100 km/h in just 4.2 seconds, impressive considering how heavy it is. Power is delivered like a sledgehammer wielded by a ballerina – forceful but with expert grace and precision.
Ambient Lighting
Not a single passenger I hosted during my week with the 7 Series wanted to know about its flawless powertrain, but every single one of them marvelled at its cool ambient lighting.
Set behind a three-dimensional glass surface spanning the entire width of the dashboard and onto the door panels, the colour of the lighting can be customized based on your mood or driving mode. Not just there to look pretty, the lights are also animated to communicate with the car’s occupants. For example, if a passenger is exiting and there’s a car or cyclist incoming, the lights will flash red to warn them.
The highlight is the huge panoramic glass roof with stylized LED light threads that make it look like you’re floating through the Tron universe. The way the interior lighting refracts through the glass elements makes it sparkle, allowing it to feel more like a VIP lounge instead of a car.
Extreme Comfort
All four main seats are adjustable in what seems like more than a dozen ways, they’re heated and ventilated, offer massaging functions, and are possibly the cushiest and most comfortable yet supportive seats I’ve ever experienced in a car. Front-seat occupants also get heated armrests, while those being chauffeured in the back get sunshades and ample head- and legroom. Buyers can even opt for a reclining seat with a footrest for the right-side rear passenger for true business class vibes.
Helping matters is that each passenger can control their own climate and can comfortably snooze or take meetings. The cabin is remarkably serene and quiet, and the supple suspension soaks up any road imperfections so it feels like you’re floating.
Four-Wheel Steering
Despite having a longer wheelbase than before, the 7 Series feels like it has a smaller turning circle than a car half its size, thanks to rear-axle steering. At parking-lot speeds, it makes this huge sedan effortless to park and manoeuvre. At higher speeds, it helps with stability and agility, helping the big sedan dive through corners with the confidence of a much smaller car.
The 7 Series has a 3,215-mm (126.6-in) wheelbase and a turning radius of just 12.9 metres, so it can rip a U-turn like nobody’s business.
Rear Seat Controls
Because the rear seats are typically reserved for VIPs, each outboard passenger gets their own smartphone-like touchscreen to control their environment from the audio, lights, wireless phone charging, seats, blinds, and climate. The BMW excels at ensuring every passenger feels special, which is what a true luxury car should do.
You may also like
