BMW officially reveals the 2013 7-Series tonight.
As bells chime midnight along Lake Como the folks attending the annual concourse at tony Villa d’Este will get their first look at the updated 2013 BMW 7-Series. Lucky for us TheDetroitBureau.com had a chance to get an advance look at the new flagship sedan following a media ride-and-drive in Santa Barbara.
The redesigned 7-Series will go through a number of notable changes for the upcoming model-year, with exterior design revisions starting from the trademark kidney grille back, as well as significant revisions to the powertrain line-up. The 2013 sedan will get more power, better mileage, plenty of new technology, and improved safety systems including something BMW has dubbed “Attention Assistant.”
Even the classic and oft-debated iDrive system undergoes some big changes to match the improvements to the updated 7-Series infotainment system, which now features a super-high-resolution video display that even Apple might envy.
The most notable visual changes have been made to the 2013 7-Series front end.
The most notable exterior changes – at least to BMW aficionados – center around the face of the 2013 sedan, with a modified kidney grille featuring fewer vertical slats and a new chrome surround. There are also twin chrome accent bars in the lower air intake, revised side mirrors designed to reduce wind noise, and updated taillamps. The LED running lamps can be paired with optional LED headlamps, as well.
What you won’t immediately notice are the two sensors underneath the rear bumper. Give a gentle kick and they’ll automatically open the power trunklid – using a system shared with the admittedly much more down-market 2013 Ford Escape.
Inside, BMW gives the new 7-Series a number of subtle tweaks – all more visible even at night thanks to improved ambient lighting. There are revised seats, and that significantly updated infotainment package starting with BMW officials described as iDrive 4.X.
iDrive version 4.X.
A nice way to start. Though BMW effectively kicked off a revolution, a decade ago, when it introduced the original iDrive, it took – and continues to take – plenty of criticism for being a bit, ahem, difficult to use. The latest version is a clear improvement and is likely to migrate downward throughout the BMW line-up fairly rapidly.
Of course, what matters most is the way the infotainment system itself looks and feels, and there it appears to have made an even more substantial leap, starting with that enhanced, almost cinematic LCD display. That permits improvements in all sorts of ways, including turn-by-turn navigation directions, a “Satellite View” feature and an updated 3D city model for most large metros around the world.
BMW also takes a cue from Audi, embedding an onboard data link so many of the new features can be operated without the driver having a smartphone onboard. Of course, with access to an iPhone or the like even more features become available.
The rest of the new 7-Series interior.
For those who are more interested in the way the system sounds, BMW is now offering an advanced Bang & Olufsen audio package option.
But let’s get down to the fact that for most buyers, what really completes the 7-Series package is its powertrain, and the 2013 remake undergoes more significant changes under the hood, starting with the new 8-speed automatic that will be used on all powertrain packages. The good news is that the gearbox will help boost fuel economy along with performance.
The real wheel-spinner is the 750i which will get new Valvetronic technology helping bump the 4.4-liter V-8 to 445 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque – an increase of 43 hp and 30 lb-ft over the outgoing model. Nonetheless, anticipate better mileage even as 0 to 60 times drop a full half second to 4.7 seconds.
The new 7-Series will see improvements in performance as well as fuel economy.
The inline-six of the 740i maintains its 315 hp/330 lb-ft rating, but is projected to deliver about 20% better fuel economy.
The ActiveyHybrid 7 is back, but for 2013 it migrates from a V-8 to I-6 engine, even though the combination, should boost both performance and mileage, the latter rating by an estimated 14%. Combining a 55-hp synchronous motor with the 3.0-liter gas engine will yield a peak 349 hp and 367 lb-ft.
Even the conventional models will get a new ECO PRO powertrain management system to further enhance mileage. They’ll now be able to coast at speeds of between 30 and 100 mph.
Meanwhile, xDrive, BMW’s start all-wheel-drive system, will also become available for the first time in the 7-Series.
Pricing for the 2013 BMW 740i will start at $73,300.
BMW has long put a premium on technology, both for information, entertainment and safety. And for the latter it is adding a range of features, including the Attention Assistant system. That’s designed to detect if the driver is getting sleepy and flag the need to pull over and rest.
The gas-powered models will arrive in U.S. showrooms over the summer, the 740i starting at $73,300, the xDrive version coming in at $80,300. The long-wheelbase 750Li will carry an MSRP of $90,000. And the ActiveHybrid7, coming in autumn will go for $84,000.
Meanwhile, anticipate a first-ever M7, according to BMW North America CEO Ludwig Willisch. While it has apparently not been formally approved he told TheDetroitBureau.com that corporate planners are likely to approve the request as an M7 is on the “must-have” list from both the U.S. and China, now BMW’s second-largest market.
(For more on BMW’s plans for the M line-up, including an M7, Click Here.)