Undoubtedly the range’s most important model for key markets.
German luxury marque BMW is wasting no time in fielding the greenest version of their recently-facelifted 7-Series range, in the form of the 745e. Available also in 745Le & 745Le xDrive guises, BMW says that despite its slightly-later introduction, we can expect to see the electrified 7ers landing alongside their pure-ICE brethren in the near future.
At the core of the 745e is the engine – an inline-6 3.0-litre unit, paired to an electric motor to produce a peak of 290kW and 600Nm, with power going to either the rear wheels or all-four (745Le xDrive). The electric motor now puts out a very healthy 83kW and 265Nm, with full-electric range of up to 54km thanks to the larger 12kWh battery pack. We laud the use of the 3.0-litre mill here, as the outgoing 740e and its 2.0-litre 4-pot just felt just a touch too unrefined for a 7-Series.
As a result, the century sprint is settled in 5.1-seconds in the 745Le xDrive, whereas the 745Le will take 5.3-seconds and the 745e, 5.2-seconds. Not that that matters, along with the 250km/h speed limit. What buyers will be most interested in is the creamy-smoothness of the engine and the (purported) increase of sound insulating material throughout, ensuring that you don’t necessarily have to call upon one of the car’s many powertrain modes (namely Hybrid, Electric, Hybrid Eco Pro and Battery control) to keep the peace.
Inside is where the 7-Series has gotten smarter for the new model year, incorporating the latest BMW OS7.0 infotainment system into the dual-10” screens. OS7.0 offers things like a more customisable user experience & faster response times, but it also benefits from a natural voice input function, meaning you can just say ‘Hey BMW!’ and the car will execute your command within a set of predetermined parameters.
The BMW 7-Series also comes with the usual array of active driver assist features, including things like adaptive cruise control, advanced lane-keep assist, AEB, rear cross-traffic alert, and automated parking. There are also things like active rear-wheel steering & air suspension that utilises forward-facing cameras to ‘prepare’ itself for the surface ahead, ensuring you never spill your cocktail in the back. The PHEV 7er will be available with all of these features, though it’s not been detailed as to what will be standard and what will be optional for Aussie-market cars.
The new BMW 7-Series will go into production in March, meaning it’s likely that we’ll see this car arrive on our shores sometime within the middle of the year. Expect to see the model range carry over into the facelift (so it’ll be 730d, 740i/Li, 750i/Li, and 745e in place of the current 740e iPerformance). Prices shouldn’t be too upset either, but we predict a slight rise to reflect the more generous kit list and additional chrome necessary for the nose.
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