Heavenly 7

All hail the new 7 Series! Now available for the Malaysian market, it redefines the idea of modern luxury in the premium automotive segment. Now in its sixth generation, the luxury limousine “represents what an exclusive, luxurious driving experience in a contemporary and pioneering sedan truly is”. Available in 740Li and 730Li variants, it offers luxury comfort with the most dynamic driving characteristics, the most sophisticated equipment, the most pleasant ambience, and benefits from a highly advanced and unique driving dynamics system.
THERE are just too many new and amazing inventions, innovations and class-leading goodies packed into BMW’s latest battlecruiser this page can fairly accommodate. Still, let’s go through some of the highlights – while the rest are for the BMW sales people to enthral you with, on your next trip to their dealership soon!
The all-new BMW 7 Series – unveiled last week by BMW Group Malaysia’s new managing director and CEO, Han Sang Yun, is just 19mm longer than the previous generation. However, the width, height and wheelbase remain essentially the same, making it the largest series-produced car BMW has ever built. And like most current BMWs, it displays hallmark BMW proportions – a long bonnet, short front overhang, long wheelbase, set-back passenger compartment and a smoothly downward-sloping roofline.
Most efficient-in-class engines
Despite being packed with new innovations, the all-new 7 Series weighs less, has a more dynamic performance and is more luxurious than ever. The 740Li has the latest-generation BMW TwinPower Turbo inline 6-cylinder, 3-litre petrol engine. Partnered to an 8-speed Steptronic transmission, its 326 horses give 450Nm of torque for a 0-100km/h sprint in just 5.5 seconds.

The BMW 730Li meanwhile is moved by a 258hp BMW TwinPower Turbo inline 4-cylinder, 2-litre petrol engine that accelerates with 400Nm from 0 to 100km/h in just 6.3 seconds.
Lightweight, heaps of driving pleasure AND “green” too
There’s a completely new chassis with new, highly-advanced chassis control systems and a body structure with Carbon Core, a product of technology transfer from the development of BMW’s amazing i cars. The flagship limo is the first in its segment to have Carbon-Fibre-Reinforced Plastic (CFRP), in addition to its intelligent mix of aluminium, high-strength steel components and magnesium.
Those, together with fuel-efficient engines as well as greater use of regenerative electricity during production have resulted in a quarter less C02 emissions over the car’s life cycle.
For the driver, there is a newly-redesigned Driving Experience Control switch located on the centre console. The Comfort, Sport, Eco Pro and for the first time, Adaptive modes can all be activated directly at the push of a button. Activate the Adaptive mode and the vehicle’s set-up is matched to the current driving style and changing route profile in adaptive, clearly perceptible fashion.
Another world’s-first debuting in the all-new 7 Series is the Executive Drive Pro. This active chassis control, available in the 740Li, works in unison with the two-axle air suspension and the Dynamic Damper Control (which is featured as standard for the first time), for a remarkable standard of suspension, damping and vibration comfort. For the first time too, active roll stabilisation is carried out electromechanically, allowing body roll forces to be equalised swiftly and precisely when taking bends at speed.
Gesture control, Welcome Light carpet, “stars” up above
There’s a new steering wheel, gear selector, digital instrument cluster, iDrive menu structure and screen layout, and most importantly, a new, extended iDrive operating concept, for you to get dizzy about (just for a short while after acquiring the car!).
Aside from the classic iDrive Controller and voice control system, the new 7 Series contains two new options that make vehicle operation more intuitive, easier and safer. The first is Touch Display for the on-board monitor which, for the first time, enables the 7 Series to be operated like a smartphone by your tapping the desired function on the display.
The second is the Gesture Control, also a first for production cars, which enables the driver to access certain vehicle functions such as playback volume and accepting or refusing telephone calls by moving a finger or a hand – thanks to a 3D infrared motion-scanning camera placed in the vicinity of the front cabin light.
There is also the optional Ambient Light design – with six different and dimmable colour variants for lighting effects – which also includes a Welcome Light Carpet for the area in front of the car doors.
At the back, the electrically adjustable comfort rear seats can massage you, and while you’re enjoying that, you can fiddle with the BMW Touch Command control unit located in the rear centre console – another innovation for the luxury class. It has the first removable 7-inch tablet that is connected to the vehicle systems, that enables you to access all comfort and entertainment functions. Either that or you can enjoy the massage further by gazing at “twinkling stars”! Yes, it’s another one of BMW’s world-beating innovation – the panoramic Sky Lounge glass roof includes an electric roller sunblind, a slide-and-tilt function for cabin ventilation and an unprecedented LED-based lighting installation comprising over 15,000 lighting elements in the glass!
And there are more!
Your 7 Series has a “Display Key”, another world-first in the luxury segment, which displays various status data for the vehicle and enables operation of selected functions via the integrated Touch Display. Meanwhile, the head-up display is now around 70% larger and includes various additional functions including 3D view of intersections.
There is also Intelligent Emergency Call which automatically and quickly sends for help in an accident; Concierge Services which connects the driver to a BMW Call Centre who acts as your “personal assistant” on the road, as well as Remote Services which allow you to transform your smartphones into an intelligent and convenient remote control for your vehicle via the MY Remote app.
Adding to the many firsts in the luxury segment is also those BMW Laser headlights. Fitted on the 740Li, the system has a range of 600m in high-beam mode – twice the range of LED headlights.
Further underlining the eye-catching and exclusive appearance of the 740Li are 19-inch double-spoke light alloy wheels and 19-inch V-spoke light alloy wheels for the 730Li.
Like I said earlier, there are so many more bells and whistles the all-new 7 Series has. To have a sales representative explain and demonstrate them to you is an amazing experience by itself!
(*Sadly, the much talked-about Remote Control Parking function is not available for the right-hand-drive 7 Series for the Malaysian market).
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Colours & Prices
The 740Li comes in Black Sapphire, Cashmere Silver, Mineral White, Sophisto Grey and Imperial Blue; with a range of Leather Nappa upholstery colour choices including Black, Canberra Beige and Cognac.
The 730Li is available in Black Sapphire, Cashmere Silver, Mineral White, Sophisto Grey and Jatoba. The range of Leather Dakota upholstery colour choices includes Black, Canberra Beige and Cognac.
BMW Group is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and is now offering a special “100th Year Anniversary Celebrations” pricing for the all-new 7 Series – limited only to the cars registered within the year.
The retail prices (on-the-road) without insurance with BMW Group Malaysia’s latest 5-Year unlimited mileage warranty, free scheduled service programme & BMW tyre warranty programme are:
730Li: RM698,800. 100th Year Anniversary Celebrations price: RM598,800.
740Li: RM888,800. 100th Year Anniversary Celebrations price: RM788,800.