The 2016 BMW 7 Series (G11/G12 – LWB) has been spied in India for the first time. A Motoroids reader has snapped a camouflaged prototype of the new 7 Series atop a flat-bed truck in Pune. We can expect an Indian launch in the coming months, with elite competition coming from the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the Audi A8L. The all-new BMW 7 Series boasts of completely refreshed styling, along with a CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic) rich passenger cell and aluminium sprinkled chassis, that makes it 130 Kg lighter its predecessor. It also features more contemporary interiors, new engines and a raft of new, futuristic technologies.
The 2016 BMW 7 Series’s styling is evolutionary and imbibes BMW signature elements like the long hood, the Hofmeister kink on the C-pillar, and of course the kidney grille, which features additional flaps with chrome bars which open or close to increase the drag coefficient. The new headlamps now feature BMW Laserlight technology with a selective beam function doesn’t dazzle oncoming traffic.
The fresh interiors feature luxurious appointments backed with the latest technologies. On board is a gesture control system, reclining and massaging rear seats with the integrated tables, along with BMW Touch Command, which can control up to 24 different comfort, navigation and entertainment functions via a tablet. Then there’s new, exotic ambient lighting and a new, bigger HUD for the driver.
But the new 7 Series’ best party trick has to be new Remote Control parking system, which can automatically pilot the car in and out of one’s garage, or a narrow parking space, at the touch of a button on the Display Key. A number of sensors automatically supervise braking, acceleration and steering. Once done, the engine switches off automatically. Other niceties include the latest driver assistance functions by BMW Connected Drive, a standard two-axle air suspension that automatically adjusts body height and four-wheel steering (“X Steer”) with four-wheel drive (xDrive).
While Europe and US get a variety of petrol and diesel engines, the engine line-up for India could be narrowed down to two – the 750Li xDrive with a reworked, 445 hp, 4.4-liter turbocharged petrol V8 engine, and the the 261 hp, 3.0-liter, six cylinder engine in the 730Ld (India is only expected to get LWB models). For more finer details on the new, 2016 BMW 7 Series, click here.
