BMW 7-Series (2008-) Review

Overview

• Next: Reliability and Quality

The last time BMW unveiled a new 7-Series there was a feeling that the designers had lost the plot. 'What on God's holy earth were they thinking of?' was the general reaction to a car that looked, well... ugly.

After seven years we sort of got used to the ugliness, and y'know, we came to love it. It was like a successful arranged marriage - the unsightly aspects became beautiful and we got comfortable with the whole thing; relaxed, almost.

That was the fourth-generation 7-Series and the next incarnation, due to go on sale in the UK in November, will not have the same problems. This is a car that you'll like pretty much straight away because it looks... quite nice.

The changes form a neater, if conservative, design. From the front there's a new light cluster with LED lamps, a broader air intake and larger kidney grilles. From the rear there's a svelte looking L-shaped light cluster and a more coupe-like shape. From the side the car looks longer thanks to an elongated sill and a cleaner, more defined shoulder line. Oh, and there's a little chrome thingy surrounding the side indicators, which is nice.

So if you buy a 7-Series you are not buying an ugly girlfriend with a nice personality - you're getting the whole package.

And there's more. Added to the engine line-up is a V8 petrol that, admittedly, will be largely ignored by the UK market, and a whole host of 'better stuff' underneath the skin. 7-Series buyers will get more gadgetry that's easier to use - a reworked iDrive, improved dynamics and performance, a classier interior, greater efficiency and less carbon dioxide emissions. It's on a completely new platform with entirely new underpinnings so there's no suggestion that this car is just an extension of the previous generation. BMW has also introduced four-wheel-steering on this range - a system that yields better handling and manoeuvrability - and its Efficient Dynamics package to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and increase fuel economy. This incarnation is 55kgs lighter than the old car, delivers 3.8% more torque, 6% more power and cuts fuel consumption by 10%. The whole range also benefits from improvements in the chassis that has delivered 60% more torsional rigidity.

The current benchmark in this class is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. BMW boasts that this latest offering, priced between £54,160 and £69,400, sets a 'a new benchmark in automotive luxury'. That's a moot point, but the new 7-Series certainly looks like it has all the weapons in its armoury to take the battle to Merc and win.