BMW 730Ld Officially Launched in the UK

BMW has just launched the 730Ld in the United Kingom, a long-wheelbase version of the 730d that boasts an additional 14 centimeters of legroom for rear seat passengers. The United Kingdom is one of the largest European markets for diesel cars and BMW predicts that the 730d and 730Ld will account for nearly 85 percent of all 7 Series sales in the UK during 2009.

There are two levels of rear entertainment packages, namely BMW Business and BMW Professional. While BMW Business consists of twin adjustable 8-inch flat screen monitors with remote control compatible with DVD players, MP3 players or game consoles, the Professional package includes 9-inch twin flat adjustable monitors, twin wireless headphones, with the whole system controlled by an iDrive remote mounted in the rear armrest.

The car is powered by a lightweight all-aluminum 2,993cc diesel engine that develops a maximum power of 245 hp at 4,000 rpm combined with a torque of 540 Nm at 3,000. It is able to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 7.3 seconds, with maximum speed rated at 153 mph. The average fuel consumption is 38.7 mpg in combined mode while CO2 emissions go around 194 g/km. All versions come with a six-speed automatic gearbox as standard.

And because fuel-economy and CO2 emissions are extremely important attributes these days, the 730Ld comes with BMW's EfficientDynamics system that incorporates several technologies aimed at the aforementioned aspects. Just like the whole BMW 7 Series, it also includes Brake Energy Regeneration systems.

While the 730d model is available for 53,730 pounds, the newly-launched 730Ld can be purchased for 56,790 pounds OTR.