Prices up for facelifted BMW 7 Series limo

Australian pricing and specifications for the facelifted 2019 BMW 7 Series limousine have been announced ahead of the car's local release in June.

Sporting a redesigned, oversized twin-kidney grille that is now 40 per cent larger – matching the bold new aesthetics of the upcoming BMW X7 SUV – the big German luxury sedan range is being pitched at drivers and back-seat passengers alike, with a high-level of equipment and technology.

Kicking off at just under $200,000 and topping out at almost $380,000, the price structure of the new-look BMW 7 Series has been remodeled too, with price hikes of between $1000 and $6000 for all models.

See the price list below for full details and check out our BMW 7 Series reveal story for all the nuts and bolts.

New big-ticket features that are standard on all model grades include the brand's latest 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, an updated version of iDrive (v7.0), a new voice-operated assistant that wakes via the "Hey BMW" command, bigger alloy wheels and smart-looking adaptive laser headlights.

The 2019 BMW 7 Series, which can also reverse park itself in tight garages, will be offered with straight-six, V8 and V12 powerplants, and there will also be a plug-in hybrid turbo-petrol version for those who want to reduce their carbon footprint.

Those after a sportier look and feel can also request the M Sport Package, which as a no-cost option (except on the $380K M760Li) adds 20-inch M alloy wheels, more aggressive front and rear bumpers, M tailpipes, M aerodynamics body add-ons, M badges and illuminated M door sills.

As per tradition, with the exception of the discontinued 750Li, the latest 7 Series will be offered in regular and long-wheelbase body lengths, measuring 5.12 metres and 5.26 metres long respectively. Both models are 1.9 metres wide.

The 2019 BMW 7 Series ledger now opens at $199,900 for both the diesel 730d and petrol 740i, which go up in price by $4000 and $1000 respectively.

That means the 7 Series admission price is now around $800 higher than that of its chief rival, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (from $199,100), as well as $8000 higher than the Audi A8 ($192,000) and $10,000 higher than the Lexus LS ($190,129), but remains about $14,000 lower than the Jaguar XJ ($213,748).

The rear-drive BMW 730d is powered by a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel six (195kW/620Nm) matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission, and takes a claimed 6.2 seconds to reach 100km/h.

Standard features include adaptive air suspension, 19-inch alloy wheels, quad-zone climate control and ambient LED interior lighting, while the Nappa leather seat trim is available with extended quilting in Mocha or Cognac colours. All models also get thicker 5.1mm laminated glass windows for improved sound isolation.

Safety features comprise lane-keep assist (semi-auto steering), adaptive cruise control (semi-auto acceleration and braking), parking sensors, 360-degree cameras and front/rear cross-traffic alert.

Choose the BMW 740i and you get a 3.0-litre turbo-petrol straight six instead of the diesel, and more power but less torque (250kW/450Nm).

It’s significantly quicker to 100km/h (5.5sec), has the same standard equipment as the oiler and also wears the same sub-$200K price, but uses more fuel.

BMW Australia has not released CO2 and fuel consumption figures for Aussie-delivered 7 Series models yet, but using less fuel than the 730d and able to drive for up to 40km on pure electricity is the BMW 745e plug-in hybrid, which replaces the 2.0-litre four-cylinder 740e.

Priced $6000 higher than the 740e and positioned $5000 upstream of the 730d and 740i at $204,900, the PHEV runs a detuned 210kW/450Nm version of 740’s 3.0-litre turbo-petrol six, aided by a 83kW/265Nm electric motor and a small 12kWh lithium-ion battery.

That takes the combined power output much higher (290kW/600Nm) and the ability to dispatch the 0-100km/h dash in just 5.2 seconds.

The long-wheelbase BMW 740Li costs $229,900 (up $1000) and as well as adding an extra 140mm of length, the longer limo gets a panoramic glass roof to improve the rear passenger outlook. It'll still do the 0-100km/h in 5.6sec – 0.1sec slower than the 740i with which it shares its engine.

Fitted with eight cylinders and all-wheel drive, the BMW 750i xDrive ($272,900 – up $3000) is driven by a 4.4-litre biturbo petrol V8 (390kW/700Nm), blasting the big car to 100km/h in a rapid-fire four seconds. It also gets night vision, a sunroof and uprated air suspension with active anti-roll tech to help keep the car flat through corners.

The flagship model is the BMW M760Li xDrive, which costs $378,900 -- $4000 more than before -- and is powered by a massive 6.6-litre twin-turbo V12 (448kW/850Nm). BMW has said the V12 will survive until 2023, after which the next 7 Series will probably max out at eight cylinders.

For now the long-wheelbase all-wheel drive 12-cylinder luxo-cruiser will reach 100km/h in only 3.8 seconds and comes with the M option pack as standard, adding bigger wheels, body kit, etc.

Rear-wheel steering is also present, as is a thumping 16-speaker 1400-Watt Bowers and Wilkins audio system, massaging seats front and rear upholstered in Merino leather.

The rear seats are reclining and fully adjustable, and a pair of big 10-inch HD screens with Blu-ray players are also fitted.

* Prices exclude on-road costs