2020 BMW 7 Series receives first plug-in hybrid engine
The new face of the BMW 7 Series.
Production is officially underway for the upcoming 2020 BMW 7 Series at the brand’s manufacturing facilities in Southern Bavaria, Germany. The full-size luxury sedan offers new engine choices — among them a never-before-seen plug-in hybrid — updated infotainment and a not-so-subtle exterior facelift.
“The BMW 7 Series has defined our identity at this site for over 40 years. We are proud that BMW’s top model, the new BMW 7 Series sedan, will also be built here in Dingolfing. Our goal as the brand’s primary plant for the luxury class is to ensure that every vehicle our experienced and competent team puts on the roads guarantees excellent quality,” says Ilka Horstmeier, director of BMW Group Plant Dingolfing.
Looking at the car head-on are where the updates appear the most drastic. The surface area of the signature kidney grille has grown by 40 per cent and the height by two inches compared to the outgoing example. Framed by a one-piece surround, the bars are finished in aluminum satin. Making the grille seem even larger are the slender adaptive LED headlamps boasting optional Laserlight technology.
The complementary LED taillamps have a flatter, more streamlined quality to them and are connected via a thin five-millimetre light bar designed to illuminate when the daytime running lights are activated. Below, the dual exhaust pipe outlets are wider giving the rear end a commanding appearance.
Inside, the vehicle receives the seventh-generation iDrive system. On the 10.25-inch high definition display, users can configure apps across 10 pages, navigating by swiping on the screen like a smartphone, manipulating the round iDrive knob on the centre console or pressing the steering wheel buttons. Hands-free inputs include voice and gesture control.
Customers may choose between an updated TwinPower Turbo eight and 12 cylinder engine, which generate 523 horsepower and 600 horsepower, respectively. Alternatively, for the first time a six-cylinder plug-in hybrid is being made available, generating a combined 394 horsepower and yielding an all-electric range of up to 58 kilometres. In tandem mode, fuel consumption is approximately 2.2 L/100 km.
As before, a stretched out variant will be sold with a 14-centimetre longer wheelbase for additional rear passenger comfort.
Keep an eye out for the 2020 BMW 7 Series at BMW Langley and The BMW Store.
