autoevolution
 

BMW 740d Review

OUR TEST CAR: BMW 740d

 
BMW 740d  - Page - 1
The Bavarian carmaker BMW unveiled back in 1977 its flagship model, the so-called 7 Series, a brand new lineup that was only offered in the form of a sedan. Often called by BMW a "premium car" but clearly aimed at the luxury market, the 7 Series is now, 33 years later, at its fifth generation, and still serves as the most luxurious and top-of-the-range Bimmer.

The latest 7 Series contraption entered production in September 2008 and BMW used its creative marketing skills to catch everyone's attention. As most people were expecting a fancy and grand unveiling, the German marque decided to do things in a different and unique way.

The revised 7 Series travelled to Russia, and more specifically to Kremlin, where BMW wanted to take the wraps off the new model right in the middle of Red Square. After a two-day sleep under around 180,000 silver balls inserted into a giant hourglass, the new 7 Series finally showed its face in front of hundreds of people on July 8, 2008. The first impression? The revised model was worth every cent from BMW's marketing budget.

Internally known as F01, the luxury car lineup received the 740d engine configuration in September 2009 and was described the same way BMW does for all of its products: perfect. The new powerplant was said to return extraordinary fuel consumption figures for the power it provided and BMW's officials figures were quick to confirm this: 26.1 mpg (9 l/100km) city, 41.2 mpg (5.7 l/100km) highway, maximum power of 306 hp.

Still addressed to wealthy people, the 7 Series seems to be the kind of car that only Angela Merkel (no pun intended madam, we know you're owning the 7 Series) or Silvio Berlusconi would buy and hand it to a chauffeur. Depending on the market it is available in, the revised lineup's pricing begins at around 70,000 euros without taxes and goes up to 120,000 euros for the top-of-the-range configuration.

We received the BMW 7 Series 740d for a couple of days, so continue reading to find out what we learned about the car.

In terms of exterior styling, the new 7 Series borrows several things from the CS concept. The first part that catches the eye is the large, massive, BMW-signature kidney grille, with the front end clearly reminiscent of the concept.

The overall design is often described ugly, boring or simply BMW-ish. The headlamps for example obviously come fitted with BMW's "angel eyes" but they also benefit from the BMW Dynamic Xenon technology which we'll detail in our review's Gadget section.

The car we tested had optional 19-inch radial-spoke lightweight alloy wheels which cost almost as much as a Tata Nano (3,000+ Euros) but perfectly fit the overall design of the car. Viewed from the side, the car seems to be huge, but the aggressive body lines are accompanied by small "tricks" that play a key role in the final design. For example, the door handles are integrated into the shoulder line (that continues from the bonnet to the trunk) which, thanks to the integrated light, creates a nice surrounding effect especially at night.

At the rear, there are the same aggressive lines as at the front, with two large taillights (which look simply gorgeous at night) and a chrome stripe above the number plate. For enhanced sportiness, BMW installed two exhaust tips; the exhaust pipe is hidden underneath the rear bumper.

All in all, the new 7 Series is indeed a striking appearance on the road and its dimensions perfectly match the luxury sedan concept it is complying with. The car measures 199.7 in (5072 mm) x 74.9 in (1902 mm) x 58.2 in (1478 mm) (LxWxH) and has a wheelbase of 120.8 in (3068 mm).

Although it could be considered a wealthy man's car, it's a delight to drive or just ride as a passenger inside the F01. Mostly because the car comes packed with tons of features, most of them aimed at making the interior as comfortable as your living-room.

The two-tone interior, a nice combination of beige and black, creates a calm and pleasant driving atmosphere. Basically, the whole interior is covered in leather, regardless if we're talking about the dashboard or the seats. There's not even a single inch of plastic, as BMW struggled to keep the quality level of all materials used inside the car at the superior limit. Decorative Fineline natural wood was used on both the dashboard and the center console, making us believe that we're actually controlling a yacht, rather than a car.

In just a few words, everything seems to be in the right place. The driver's door holds the power windows controls along with all the electrical adjustments for both the driver's and the front passenger's seats. The steering wheel comes fitted with cruise control, audio and Bluetooth controls while the center console houses the so-called programmable "favorite" buttons that let you configure a few shortcuts for certain functions of the car.

Then there's the iDrive controller knob mounted on the center console just near the gear stick. Just like on the other Bimmers, the rotating knob allows the driver to browse among the integrated systems such as air conditioning, audio and navigation settings.

At first glance, the 7 Series seems to be extremely spacious, with the four individual seats specially designed for maximum comfort. And although we admit that driving such a model is quite enjoyable, we were surprised to see how fun actually is to travel as a rear passenger. The rear seats are fitted with a massage function that comprises twelve so-called massage bubbles and six rotation bubbles that relax the passenger's thorax, shoulder and lumbar spine.

Our very own test with the 2-meter "dummy" indicated that sitting on the rear seats is a delight, but driving the new 7 Series might cause some problems if nature has gifted you with such a great height.

Taking into account its dimensions 199.7 in (5072 mm) x 74.9 in (1902 mm) x 58.2 in (1478 mm) (LxWxH), the 7 Series is far from being a city-oriented model. But we, just like any other 21st century-drivers, had to get through the crowded city traffic to reach our destination. And we did manage to do it, but don't imagine that driving such a monster in heavy traffic is easy.

Basically, all you have to do in a traffic jam situation is to wait. It's difficult to squeeze through other cars and it's almost impossible to estimate the distance between your car and the vehicle in front. But even so, it's fun to be inside this Bimmer in almost any scenario, especially because it has almost all the necessary equipment to entertain you, regardless if we're taking about LCD screens, massage function or the advanced audio system.

Parking sensors and rear-view cameras are mandatory on such a large vehicle and because we're talking about a 120,000 euro model, BMW equipped our 7 Series with such goodies. However, note that the rear-view camera only comes as an option and, depending on the market, it is priced at around 350 euros.

Fuel consumption on the other hand is shocking, in a good way of course. According to BMW's very own figures, the 7 Series 740d should burn around 9 liters of fuel every 100 km (26.1 mpg) in city conditions which, taking into account that the engine develops 306 horsepower, is  impressive to say the least. Our car however, in the very heavy traffic conditions we must face every day, indicated a fuel consumption rating of 11.2 l/100km (21 mpg) after a 15-km trip.

Leaving all these figures aside, BMW 7 Series doesn't seem too appropriate for city driving. It does have a 520-liter trunk, enough for you to carry all your Christmas shopping bags, but seriously, you won't buy such a car to just go to the office or do your regular weekly shopping sessions...

If you're lucky enough to get behind the wheel of a 7 Series but you don't have the chance to leave the city and put the 3-liter engine up to test, it's just a waste of time. Leaving on a journey with such a car is in no way boring and all the integrated technologies are making the whole trip a nice and pleasant activity.

First of all, there's the engine. The 3.0-liter powerplant, mated to BMW's Steptronic eight-speed transmission, develops 306 horsepower and a maximum torque of 600 Nm between 1500 and 2500 rpm. This basically means that you'll have the necessary power whenever you need it, regardless if you're the kind of sporty or calm driver. And speaking of these types of drivers, the F01 can be easily adjusted to better suit your needs using the four available modes, Normal, Comfort, Sport and Sport+.

In just a few words, each of these four levels come with a different setup for several parts, including the response of the Dynamic Stability Control function (perfectly noticeable in Sport+) plus the steering assistance and the automatic transmission settings. In most cases, the Normal mode is just what you need, a perfectly balanced vehicle that comes packed with enough power, superior comfort and optimized fuel consumption.

But even so, driving in a non-urban environment seems a bit more appropriate for the Comfort configuration. In this mode, the yacht feeling brought to you by the inside wood parts comes back, this time because of the car's settings. The car is indeed a bit more comfortable and we only noticed just a few changes to the vehicle's behavior while cruising on the highway.

Last but not least, there's the Sport+ level that releases the 306 horsepower hidden underneath the hood. Switching to Sport+ partially turns off the electronic stability control which practically means that we finally got a chance to test our Need for Speed skills. The driver's heavy right foot, a slight curve, light rain conditions and the Sport+ mode activated made drifting a piece of cake and it only took a second until we chased the rear side of the car just like a dog chases its tail.

Leaving our adventures aside, the new Bimmer was once again impressive when it came to fuel consumption. In highway conditions, at 130 km/h (80.7 mph) with cruise control turned on, the on-board computer indicated 7.1 l/100km (33.1 mpg), slightly different from BMW's estimated 5.7 l/100km (41.2 mpg).
12
72user rating 17 votes
Rate this car!
 
autoevolution Jun 2010
77
History
8
Exterior
7
Interior
8
In the city
6
Open road
8
Comfort
8
Tech facts
8
Gadgets
8
Safety
9
Conclusion
7
72user rating 17 votes
Rate this car!
 
Photo gallery (121)
BMW 740d display imageBMW 740d display imageBMW 740d display imageBMW 740d display imageBMW 740d display imageBMW 740d display imageBMW 740d connectivity options in the front arm restBMW 740d rear arm rest with controlsBMW 740d rear seat-mounted displaysBMW 740d iDrive controlelerBMW 740d gear stickBMW 740d nightvision imageBMW 740d nightvision buttonBMW 740d rear cameraBMW 740d front cameraBMW 740d drivetrain configuration screenBMW 740d exhaust tipBMW 740d rear suspensionBMW 740d engine bayBMW 740d wheelBMW 740d rear passenger legroom for a 6.6ft (2m) tall personBMW 740d seat memory controlsBMW 740d driver legroom for a 6.6ft (2m) tall personBMW 740d head restBMW 740d rear door with massage controlsBMW 740d rear arm rest with controlsBMW 740d front seat controlsBMW 740d rear seatsBMW 740d front seatsBMW 740d air conditioning panelBMW 740d panningBMW 740d panningBMW 740d panningBMW 740d panningBMW 740d rearview cameraBMW 740d middle ride heightBMW 740d rear ride heightBMW 740d front ride heightBMW 740d rear ground clearanceBMW 740d front ground clearanceBMW 740d city panningBMW 740d city panningBMW 740d nighttime tunnel shotBMW 740d nighttime tunnel shotBMW 740d emergency kitBMW 740d luggage compartment fuse boxBMW 740d luggage compartment storage spaceBMW 740d luggage compartment storage spaceBMW 740d luggage compartment BMW 740d rear door with massage controls BMW 740d rear consoleBMW 740d rear arm rest with controlsBMW 740d rear arm restBMW 740d rear storage spaceBMW 740d rear bench with the rear arm rest foldedBMW 740d rear arm restBMW 740d rear arm restBMW 740d rear benchBMW 740d rear seat-mounted displayBMW 740d rear seat-mounted displaysBMW 740d head restBMW 740d glove compartmentBMW 740d storage spaceBMW 740d dashboardBMW 740d front arm rest connectivity optionsBMW 740d front arm restBMW 740d storage spaceBMW 740d rear view mirrorBMW 740d start/stop buttonBMW 740d air conditioning controlsBMW 740d iDrive controllerBMW 740d gear stickBMW 740d gear stickBMW 740d center consoleBMW 740d front seat controlsBMW 740d front seatsBMW 740d front seatsBMW 740d gaugesBMW 740d storage spaceBMW 740d seat memory controlsBMW 740d driver's side door controlsBMW 740d headlight controlsBMW 740d nightvision buttonBMW 740d steering wheel electric controlsBMW 740d wiper control leverBMW 740d wiper control leverBMW 740d signal lever with trip controlBMW 740d steering wheel buttonsBMW 740d steering wheel buttonsBMW 740d steering wheel badgeBMW 740d steering wheelBMW 740d steering wheelBMW 740d dashboardBMW 740d nighttime gaugesBMW 740d nighttime dasboardBMW 740d nighttime interiorBMW 740d tailight and fog lightBMW 740d rear badgeBMW 740d rear badgeBMW 740d taillightBMW 740d turn signalBMW 740d door handleBMW 740d exterior rear view mirrorBMW 740d exterior rear view mirrorBMW 740d headlightBMW 740d front badgeBMW 740d Dynamic Xenon badgeBMW 740d front grilleBMW 740d headlightBMW 740d taillight onBMW 740d headlight, angel eyes onBMW 740d side viewBMW 740d rear viewBMW 740d rear three quarters viewBMW 740d front viewBMW 740d front three quarters viewBMW Concept CS2005 BMW 7 Series interior2005 BMW 7 Series2002 BMW 7 Series1977 BMW 7 Series