BMW Group Malaysia shows off all-new 7 Series

BMW Group Malaysia has launched the all-new 6th generation 7 Series with the tagline “Driving Luxury” that represents exclusivity, performance and luxury. The latest addition to BMW’s 40-year-old luxury range is touted to be the most advanced luxury sedan in its segment.

At the 7 Series launch, Mr Han Sang Yun, the new Managing Director and CEO of BMW Group Malaysia said “The BMW Group celebrates its 100th Year Anniversary in 2016 and it is very appropriate that we begin our centenary celebrations year here in Malaysia by introducing our flagship model – the all-new 7 Series. We shaped the future of the premium automotive industry here with BMW i as well as established the fact that premium performance and dynamic vehicles in the country should only carry the Most Powerful Letter In The World – M. Now we are redefining the perception of driving luxury in the Malaysian premium automotive industry with the all-new BMW 7 Series, ,which has also recently been shortlisted as a finalist for 2016 World Luxury Car of the Year.”

Offered in two variants, 730i and 740i, the CBU Germany luxury sedan is built with comfort, the most sophisticated equipment, ambience and highly advanced and unique driving dynamics, in a body that’s 19mm longer than its predecessor at 5,219mm. This makes it the largest series-produced car BMW has ever built.

The 730i is equipped with a BMW TwinPower Turbo inline 4-cylinder 2L petrol engine which delivers 258hp and 400Nm of torque. Acceleration from 0km/h to 100km/h is 6.3 seconds while fuel consumption is rated at 5.8L/100km.

The more premium 740i comes with a 6-cylinder 3L engine with output of 326hp and 450Nm of torque with acceleration to 100km/h of 5.5 seconds and fuel consumption 6.6L/100km. Both engine variants work with an 8-speed Steptronic automatic transmission.

The all-new 7 Series shows off the BMW EfficientDynamics design with the Active Air Stream kidney grille that features a visible air flap control that opens only when increased cooling is needed. This improves aerodynamics and gives a more eye-catching look due to the increased number of bars in the large BMW kidney grille.

Also a first in a BMW is the BMW Laser headlights identified as a central blue-tinted horizontal bar. Found on the 740i, the Laser headlights has a range of 600 meters in high beam mode, twice the range of LED headlights.

Underneath the 7 Series’ skin is a Carbon Core body structure which came from the development of BMW i cars. As part of the BMW EfficientLightweight concept, the 7 Series is the first in its segment to have Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics in addition to a mix of aluminium and high-strength steel as well as magnesium.

The new chassis comes with a self-leveling two-axle air suspension with Dynamic Damper Control as standard. This allows the car to lower by 10mm at high speeds for better aerodynamics and increase by 20mm at low speeds up to 35km/h.

For the driver, the redesigned Driving Experience Control features Comfort, Sport, Eco Pro and Adaptive (a first). Adaptive mode sets the car’s behavior according to your driving style and situation.

There is also a new steering wheel, gear selector. digital instrument cluster, iDrive menu layout and operating concept, Touch Display monitor and gesture control. The latter is a first for production cars and uses a 3D infrared camera to scan and recognize hand gestures to operate such functions as playback volume, accepting or refusing telephone calls.

Another world’s first is the BMW Display Key which is more than just a key fob. It is integrated with Touch Display and can show on your fob the car’s fuel level, current vehicle range, status of the central locking system, windows and glass roof, service prompts and time of day as well as activate the air conditioning and ventilation system within the vehicle.

Safety features include steering and directional control assistant, Lane Departure Warning Assistant with active side collision protection, rear collision prevention and cross-traffic warning at the front. These features of Driving Assistant Plus now operate on all roads and at speeds up to 210km/h.

As much as there are new toys for the driver, the passengers also get their fair share, as this car will mostly serve the towkays here. The automatic air conditioning has 4-zone control for more customization. The rear seats are electrically adjustable with massage function and Vitality Programme. This allows rear passengers to engage in up to eight different settings of active physical exercises for recuperation purposes.

Further, the Touch Command control unit at the rear center console, another innovative first, is a 7″ removable tablet that is connected to the vehicle systems to access all comfort and entertainment functions.

Other luxurious appointments include a panoramic Sky Lounge glass roof with the inclusion of an electric roller sunblind, a slide and tilt function for cabin ventilation and an impressive LED lighting system comprising over 15,000 lighting elements for rear passengers to enjoy.

Assistance also comes in the form of Intelligent Emergency Call which automatically sends for help in an accident; Concierge Services which connects to a BMW Call Center that acts as your “personal assistant” on the road and Remote Services which allows you to transform your smartphone into an intelligent and convenient remote control for your car via the MYRemote app.

You can drive home a 730i for RM698,800 or a 740i for RM888,800 (on-the-road price without insurance) but as part of BMW’s 100th Year Anniversary Celebrations, you can have the 730i for RM598,800 and the 740i for RM788,800. Both models come with 5 years unlimited mileage warranty, free scheduled service and tyre warranty program.