BMW Alpina B7 2017 Review

Viewed one way, the Alpina B7 Bi-Turbo makes much more sense than the smaller B4 Bi-Turbo  reviewed last year. In fact, the big B7 is the very essence of what the Alpina brand has always represented. It's supremely comfortable, with room for the whole family to enjoy obvious luxury, and conservative without being especially understated. And most of all, it's very quick.

But viewed another way – price – the B7, at $399,271 (as tested plus on-road costs), is an ostentatious display of wasteful excess. Yet, if price were no object, and nor were the practical concerns associated with motoring around town in such a large car, and you could also turn a blind eye to environmental considerations, this is a machine without peer…almost anyone with a passing interest in cars would happily park the B7 in their garage at home.

While the B7 steers very precisely for a car of its size, and provides excellent feedback, when you’re seeking a more relaxed journey the steering is very light in Comfort or Eco-PRO driving experience modes.

Ultimately, the B7's roadholding isn't a match for the previous generation of Porsche Panamera in GTS form, or the new Panamera, as likely as not. Which is indicative of the B7's standing as more a touring machine with a performance overlay than a genuine direct competitor for the Porsche.

As a counterpoint to that, the B7's ride comfort is superb. It's the first 7 Series derivative I've driven that feels like it could give the Mercedes-Benz S-Class a run for its money. Simply set up the individual driving experience mode for cushy ride comfort (where the B7 still delivers decent body control) and tune both the steering and powertrain settings to sport, and you have the ideal combination.

The B7's brakes offer very fine modulation through the pedal and the car will stop softly in chauffeur mode, but the brakes are also really strong when you jump on them.

The 4.4-litre V8 delivers velvety performance and restarts almost instantly without any rocking or rolling. It's a willing unit that feels unstressed anywhere in the rev range, although it does struggle with the car's weight launching from a standing start. Also, should you use the performance available without care, the traction/stability control will step in and whisk that power and torque away.

Despite its formidable output, the twin-turbo V8 in the B7 application is very quiet, until woken by a prod of the accelerator. At 100km/h it is running at just 1400rpm, but over the course of the week the B7 was in our possession it rarely reached that sort of speed. Much of the time it was idling along in traffic, which is why the trip computer had posted a fuel consumption figure of 15.2L/100km by the time it was ready to return.

The eight-speed ZF automatic goes about its duties with the competence expected of this transmission. It features buttons behind the wheel in lieu of shift paddles however the jury's out as to whether this is a better idea than paddles. I personally prefer the buttons, because there's absolutely no need ever to lift a hand off the wheel to change gear.

Apart from a light rumble of tyre noise, the B7 is really quiet at speed.

But the Steering and Lane Control Assistant struggled with the Aussie country road test, and the B7was actually no better at keeping in lanes than the Volvo V90 reviewed immediately before it. As a matter of fact, the Volvo was more capable of finding the line markings. To its credit, provided the driver-assist technology could actually define where the lane was, the B7 was less inclined than the Volvo to meander within the lanes.

Apart from the rear seat's full climate control setup – two zones, seat heating and adjustable vents in both the B pillars and the rear of the centre console – there are also seat adjustment functions (height, recline, massage, et cetera), sun protection controls for the two-piece sunroof blind/rear blind/side window blinds, and entertainment tablets on the rear of the front headrests.

Where the B7 struggles is in the front, where the seats hold occupants in place securely, but the cushioning is firm and flat – and these are the Comfort Seats with all manner of adjustment.

But there are numerous gadgets offered as standard in the B7, including Apple CarPlay, which works through Bluetooth, so you don't have to connect the iPhone with a lead to the car. I also tried gesture control and adjusted the audio volume without too much trouble – which made a lasting impression with number one daughter when she witnessed it for the first time.

Yet, for all the electronic magic going on in the cabin, it's hard to picture an Alpina B7 owner ever ignoring the joy of driving. It's that sort of car.