Cars

Here at T3 India, we love technology. It’s this obsession that has us looking out for technology in every aspect of our lives. Take cars for example. Cars have gotten smarter, safer and if we talk about BMW’s 7 Series, more luxurious than ever before. We recently drove one and while the car has a lot going under the hood, it’s the technology it packs that makes this top-of-the-line executive sedan special. The 7 Series 730Ld M Sport makes its presence felt with an authoritative demeanour, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that this is indeed an elegant looking car, with its dynamic proportions, precise lines and sculpted surfaces. The car is also equipped with a Panorama Glass Roof Sky Lounge that creates a design from more than 15,000 design elements. Moreover, there’s an active air-stream kidney grille that opens up the slats for improved engine cooling or shuts it off when not required to improve aerodynamics.

Complementing the grille is the BMW Laserlight that comes from the BMW i8. It provides a high-beam range of up to 600 metres and with BMW Selective Beam, the problem of dazzling, or blinding, the driver in the oncoming vehicle with its powerful light is greatly reduced. Another interesting feature that you’d find in the Series 7 from the BMW i cars is the use of Carbon Core in the body structure. Carbon Core effectively lightens the weight of the car by 130kg, allowing an increase in the safety and rigidity of the car at a reduced weight. There’s no dearth of cabin space with the 7 Series offering generous amount of it, both for the front as well as rear passengers. However, it’s the abundance of technology in the interior that makes the 7 Series more interesting. For instance, the infotainment system with Gesture Control. Just use the hand in front of the infotainment screen to change volume, accepting or rejecting phone calls, acknowledging check-control messages, closing an information window, changing the camera angle etc. We tried some of the gestures and it did work as intended. The car is also equipped with Bluetooth audio streaming, a USB port and interestingly, inductive wireless charging for selected phones.

Next up is the BMW Touch Command that equips the passenger with a 7-inch tablet to control various aspects inside the cabin, such as seat adjustment, interior lighting, air conditioning, as well as infotainment, navigation and communication systems. The Samsung Android tablet can also be used to install and play games and videos. BMW also gives an option to fit two 10-inch screens for rear passengers as part of Rearseat Entertainment Experience and when coupled with the Executive Lounge that allows the rear passenger to adjust the seat, massage (with Vitality Programme) and footrest, it’s a luxurious experience with utmost comfort.

When it comes to driving, the 730Ld M Sport is equipped with an 8-Speed Steptronic Sport Automatic Transmission, a 3.0-litre engine with 265 PS and 620Nm. The car is capable of reaching 0-100kmph in just 6.2 seconds and even comes with various driving modes like Sport, Sport+, Comfort, Comfort+, Eco Pro and Adaptive. The Series 7 730Ld M Sport also comes with a touch-based Display Key that supports Remote Control Parking. While this feature is not available in India yet (BMW says coming later this year), Remote Control Parking will semi-autonomously park the car without requiring the driver to be inside the vehicle. This is in addition to the improved parking assistance along with other Display Key functions like showing time, fuel efficiency and even service notifications.

The 730Ld M Sport has something for everyone. The technology it packs not only enhances the passengers’ experience but drivers get additional assistance for an enjoyable and smooth ride. It is priced at Rs. 1,19,00,000 (ex-showroom).

BMW 7-Series