Considering the tenacious grip Mercedes-Benz has on this particular market of ours, it’s perhaps surprising that BMW’s luxury barge, the 7 Series, has for some time been the UAE’s bestseller. Yet when the new S-class emerged in 2014, it set entirely new standards, and brought with it a design language that, at least when it came to interior appointments, bloodied the noses of its competition. Suddenly, along with Audi’s A7 and Jaguar’s XJ, the big Bimmer looked outclassed. Much, then, is riding on the shoulders of this, the sixth-generation of 7 Series.
Externally, I think BMW has taken a backward step, with the pure elegance of its forebear giving way to a rather anonymous look that does its interior a disservice. However, the body panels are now formed from a combination of aluminium, high-tensile steel and lightweight carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer composites. It might look a bit staid, but its physical make-up is far from boring, the resulting structure being lighter, stiffer and stronger than any 7 Series before it. It weighs 130kg less than its predecessor.
The car I’m testing is the long wheelbase 750Li, which is 5.2 metres long and 2.2 metres wide to the tips of its door mirrors, meaning that while its carbon footprint might be on the low side, the amount of space it occupies is significant. Its engine, a 4.4L, twin-turbo V8, puts out 450hp and 650Nm of twist, channelled through all four wheels in this, the X-Drive model, while the “normal” one gets rear-wheel drive which, in this region, would be perfectly acceptable in any given situation, so long as you stay off the dunes. It’ll hit a governed 250kph, and reach 100kph in 4.5 seconds. In other words, this thing is spaceship-fast.
The caveat, though, is that even with all of that colossal performance, the 750Li, or any other 7 Series, is never going to be an engaging driver’s car. If you want seat-of-the-pants thrills and spills, BMW has plenty of other models to whet your appetite, but this luxury land yacht has an entirely different agenda. Its reason for being is to knock you sideways with a mind-boggling array of on-board technology, while soothing away your aches and pains as you sit in its massaging, enveloping furniture, and cover huge amounts of ground in the shortest possible time. It’s an executive express par excellence.
The best way to describe the way this thing drives is to say it’s so similar to a Rolls-Royce Ghost that you wonder whether BMW simply reclothed Goodwood’s automobile in less-ostentatious threads. It glides along in absolute serenity, cushioning all the harshness outside in an oasis of calm, and it easily matches the new S-class for refinement and that tangible feeling of mechanical and technical superiority.
The cabin design is a masterclass in elegance – whatever you look at, touch or listen to is exquisite in appearance, feel and sound. A highlight is the Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System, which delivers flawless sound throughout the cabin with 16 loudspeakers that are illuminated at night – something you really need to see to appreciate just how far BMW has gone in overhauling this model.
Another is the “Sky Lounge” panoramic double sunroof, the glass of which contains more than 15,000 light elements that match the colour of illumination you dictate via the infotainment system. At night, the atmosphere is pure “executive lounge”.
You don’t need to even touch anything to accept or reject incoming phone calls, or to adjust the volume of the sound system, thanks to BMW’s new “Gesture Control” system, which allows you to swipe or circle an index finger in front of a central dash sensor. Rear occupants have a new “Touch Command” system – a removable seven-inch tablet display that nestles in the rear seat armrest. Networked with the car’s systems, it allows passengers to adjust their seats, air conditioning, rear-seat heating and massage functions, as well as providing control of ambient lighting, the blinds for the glass sunroof and the roller sunblinds that shade the windows.
If you buy one from AGMC in Dubai, you also get BMW’s Connected Drive system, which opens up a whole world of interactivity. Want directions to a particular restaurant? Just ask, and the car will sort it for you. Want to summon help from the emergency services after an accident? The system automatically calls for help, sending your precise location to the people that need it.
I could fill this entire page with a list of all the functions available in this extraordinary vehicle, but I think you get it: this BMW is here to make its owner’s life easier in any way it can. Yet it does everything without shouting about it. It’s a quantum leap forward for this brand, and if we find out in a year’s time that it once again reigns supreme as the best-selling luxury automobile in our market then it will be a richly deserved accolade.
motoring@thenational.ae
Follow us @LifeNationalUAE
Follow us on Facebook for discussions, entertainment, reviews, wellness and news.