[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/48990842156/[/flickr]
BMW has managed to eliminate all outside noises and vibrations
Performance – BMW is offering 4 engine options on the 7-Series but our test car was equipped with the ubiquitous diesel (50% variants of this limo are powered by the same engine). Known as the 730Ld, it draws power from a 3.0-litre inline-6 oil burner which is the same as the pre-facelift model, it produces 265 HP and 620 Nm, resulting in a 0-100 km/hr time of 6.2 seconds while the top speed is restricted to 250 km/hr. Performance is linear, there is no sudden rush in power and the refinement levels are staggering as you can barely hear anything inside the cabin, be it engine, wind, tyre or road noise. BMW has worked extensively on improving the insulation inside the cabin and they have done a fab job.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/48990290238/[/flickr]
The sporty exhaust note and slick shifting gearbox ensure an exciting drive
The refined diesel engine offers linear performance and decent fuel economy
However, being a BMW, there is a sporty note that can be heard once you push the motor past 4000 RPM, redline comes in at 5000 RPM. Tweaks have been made to the 8-speed ZF sourced torque-converter gearbox which offers smooth and quick shifts, one can also manually shift gears using the tiptronic function on the gear lever but can’t hold onto a gear, there are no paddle-shifters which is very surprising. The car is quite frugal and returns between 9-12 km/l, it has an 80-litre fuel tank, giving it a stellar 800 km range on a full tank. The 7-Series gets 7 drive modes – Eco Pro, Comfort, Sport, all of which get a standard-setting while EcoPro and Sport get individual settings and Comfort gets a Plus setting, the 7th mode is Adaptive which predicts vehicle movement and accordingly alters the engine, gearbox, steering and suspension.
