BMW 7 Series 2015 Review

The new 7 Series arrives in Australia from October in 730d and 740i guise, with the V8-engined 750i to follow early next year. Long the underdog in the eternal battle with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, it promises to take the fight back up to Stuttgart's offering with high-tech comfort and convenience features, lighter weight for improved fuel economy, and enhanced driving dynamics.

It's easy to be overawed by the level of technology in the new 7 Series. The new generation of BMW's luxury flagship comes with a basket of high-tech features. One, for example, allows the user to filter out selectable music sources from the iDrive list. If you only ever choose between Bluetooth audio and FM radio, you can de-select CD/DVD, AM radio and Digital Radio, and reduce the amount of scrolling when changing from one music source to the other.

Between voice control, handwriting facility, nominating a point on a map via the touch screen and conventional data entry using a rotary dial, BMW can offer four methods of entering a destination address in the satellite navigation. It's just about overkill.

Gesture control is a new feature, and it's going to be very handy, so to speak. But it will take a little while for drivers to get used to it. There are only a select few gestures that work with the system – and BMW says that certain gestures were off limits from the very start – but the manufacturer also says there'll be more to follow. The system features a 'strike zone' in the region of space above the transmission shifter and around the centre fascia, where the new touch screen is located. This strike zone is monitored by a camera mounted in the headlining above and registers specific moves of the driver's or passenger's hands. Functions available include audio system volume control and accepting or rejecting incoming phone calls.

The drive programme for the G11/12 generation of 7 Series took place at the Monticello race track, which is located in the scenic countryside of upstate New York.

We missed out on the chauffeur drive laid on during BMW's international launch for the new flagship, which is a shame when the back seat of a large luxury sedan from Germany is often the best way to enjoy a journey. In Australia however, 7 Series owners also tend to do their own driving.

Three laps of the track and four shots at a lane-change exercise combined with slalom and emergency braking test were arguably not completely relevant in the real world, but the 750Li xDrive (all-wheel drive) conducted itself with impressive poise, nonetheless. This exercise clearly illustrated the line separating the dynamic traits of the new 7 Series, according to whichever mode (Comfort, Sport, Adaptive, EcoPro or Individual) was selected through the car's Driving Experience Control.

I suspect BMW's event management staff placed the witches hats very carefully for the slalom. The large car never looked like knocking over one of the cones, despite plenty of body roll and tyre slip in the Comfort mode setting at a steady speed of around 30mph (48km/h) or higher.

In Sport mode, the 750i's attitude was flatter and the car could reach higher speeds exiting the slalom, which was part of the reason it travelled significantly further for the braking test – it was achieving higher speeds prior to the brake application.

Around the private track at Monticello, the 750i was neutral and throttle-sensitive, but BMW says that its cornering is also assisted by selective rear-wheel braking and four-wheel steering (turning the rear wheels in the same direction as the front wheels at speeds above parking pace). The braking system is not torque vectoring, we're reliably informed, since it's not adjusting the torque laterally, but is merely nipping a brake on a corner of the car. That's a pretty fine logical distinction in a rear- or all-wheel drive car, but whatever... it seems to work.

The big Bimmer was slower to turn in when left in the Comfort setting, and body control was not as disciplined in this mode. Backing off would result in mild but discernible weight transfer at the rear, but in Sport mode the 750i was much more settled and demonstrably faster. Steering was more communicative in this mode too and generally easier to place on the road as a consequence.

Away from the track, Comfort mode was probably still firmer than the best ride comfort the W222 Mercedes S-Class has to offer, but that's arguably a point of difference between the two rivals. That said, the Comfort mode left the steering a little numb at the straight-ahead, and while body control was generally very good, those who like their driving will be forgiven for leaving the car in Sport mode – and accepting a ride quality that's slightly firmer again.

The 750Li (long wheelbase) would assist the driver by increasing the steering assistance turning into a corner. It's not the first such system we've tried, but it works better than most. Some of these systems can be unnerving and appear to take control of the car away from the driver. The BMW didn't feel as domineering in that regard and the transition was smoother and gentler.

BMW offers an Adaptive mode that does adjust to different driving styles, but the driver can lock in an Individual mode of his choosing as well, which is probably preferable. Once it's set to the driver's preferences it won't change, whereas the Adaptive mode starts out from a default position and adapts to the driving style prevailing. With the Individual mode, you can select more dynamic steering, slower throttle response and lower shift points, as one example – and those characteristics are immutable.

The drive program on public roads was pretty undemanding. Country roads at the posted speed limit of 55mph (88km/h) were generally well paved, so the 750Li was incredibly quiet, but that begs the question: will it do as well in Australia?

It was not altogether surprising that such a gentle route elicited fuel consumption of 26.1mpg (9.0L/100km), which is nearly a match for the 750Li's NEDC fuel consumption figure. That's good, but the driving conditions were hardly representative of the kind of driving most owners will encounter.

The turbocharged V8 was silent most of the time and remained muted and mellow even when demands were placed on it for full-throttle output up to the redline. Coupled to an eight-speed ZF transmission that changed without any fuss, the engine was capable and highly responsive. Even making allowances for the car tested being honed to perfection for use by the world's press, the 750Li did impress for its refinement, nonetheless.

All the comments above apply to the all-wheel drive 750Li, which is not confirmed for Australia. At this stage we do know the 750i and 750Li will be sold here in rear-wheel drive form from the first quarter of next year. Diesel (730d) and petrol (740i) six-cylinder models will be launched here from late next month (October), and both the sixes are new engine designs, but neither was available to drive in the USA.

Inside, the 750Li was standard BMW ergonomic design. I found the driver's seat was simply not as comfy as that of the Mercedes S 500 I recently tested. Well shaped and supportive as they were, the BMW's front seats were also quite firm, and even a wallet in the back pocket soon became a literal pain in the posterior. That aside, the BMW's driving position was very flexible and commanding.

BMW's instrument binnacle for the new 7 Series offers a different view for each of the three Drive Experience Control settings – not including different individualised views that the driver can set up to suit personal preference. EcoSport mode is not an especially informative view, replacing the tachometer with an energy use meter to the right and standard speedometer to the left. At the other end of the scale, Sport mode provides – illuminated in red – tachometer and basic speedo.

In the rear seat of the long-wheelbase variant accommodation will not be a problem. Nor will infotainment (tablets). The vehicles driven were four-seaters that came with a fold-out table for one rear-seat passenger (obliquely behind the driver) and separate seat adjustment for upper and lower squab and legroom (fore/aft travel), plus heating and cooling vents in the B pillars.

While the launch of the new 7 Series has left plenty of questions unanswered (roll on the local launch next month) the jury has handed down its verdict: the new car has delivered everything promised in spades.

2015 BMW 750Li xDrive pricing and specifications:
Price: TBA
Engine: 4.4-litre turbo-petrol V8
Output: 330kW/650Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.5L/100km (NEDC Combined)
CO2: 197g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: TBA

Also consider:
>> Audi S8 (from $280,610 plus ORCs)
>> Mercedes-Benz S 500L (from $311,800 plus ORCs)
>> Porsche Panamera GTS (from $319,700 plus ORCs)