2009 BMW 7 Series Crash Test Video

As we announced almost a week ago, German manufacturer BMW has released, in a swift and somewhat surprising move, the 2010 BMW 7 Series, with the two new 760i and 760Li set to move at the top of BMW's line-up. As a folow up, the company released, via BMW-web.tv, a crash test video of the "highest level of motoring refinement in their segment," as the manufacturer calls the 7 Series.

As was to be expected,the premium sedan performed well in different types of accident scenarios, which included frontal impact, side impact and overturning against a deformable barrier. The tests did not include a front-to-front crash test with another moving vehicle, but undoubtedly, the 7 Series would have performed much better than the cars we presented you yesterday.

"Safety for BMW is a holistic approach. The term 'integral safety', as we use it in the BMW Group means we start with normal driving, we improve the normal driving and consider measurements to improve critical situations for the driver to manage," Klaus Kompass, BMW Head of Vehicle Safety said.

The crash tests for the 7 Series were conducted at speeds of 56 km/hour (34 mph). The results of the tests were "very good," as Bernard Speth, Integration Passive Safety Engineer said. There was no rating given to the new 7 Series on the basis of its performance during the crash tests, as these tests were required as part of the homologation process.

As you can see, the 7 Series managed to overcome the test without serious threats to the crash test dummies "life". It's a reassuring video, especially after yesterday's IIHS videos and it further stresses the importance of size during a crash.