2009 BMW 7-Series

The new 2009 BMW 7-Series boasts more space and new-age technology to shake the luxury saloon segment, In today's era, technology determines the fate of most automobiles and especially in the luxury segment where it matters the most as the end-user is fixated on two basic parameters - space for comfort and technology for convenience. Car-makers are spending enormous sums of money for developing new-technologies that will make car-travel not only more comfortable but also a whole lot safer. The newly launched fifth generation BMW 7-Series is an outcome of similar research meant to spoil the creme-de-la-creme of the society. Internationally, the BMW 7-Series line-up includes the 740i, 750i, 730d, 740Li and the 750Li. Out of these five models only the 750Li has been just recently introduced in India while the 740Li and the 730d will be introduced shortly. The 750Li and the 740Li are the longer wheelbase versions of the 750i and the 740i models - clearly, the company is out to pamper India with its stretched out offerings. Styling on the new 7-Series is toned down and features none of the 'Bangle' flames. Elegant design cues hide the aggressive lines seen on the previous model. BMW has kept its focus on luxury this time and it shows as the new 7-Series clearly carries a more sophisticated look unlike the sporty appeal of its predecessor. The infamous double-decker boot is done away with as well making the car look more in line with common sensibilities than the sporty ones. BMWs have always been recognized as more of 'driver's cars' than out-right luxury products. The company is all set to change this perception about its image and the 2009 7-Series is the first step in this direction. With more space and grandeur than ever before on the latest iteration of the 7-Series, BMW plans to give its arch rival, the Mercedes Benz S Class an even harder time in the full-size luxury segment. The luxury bracket has a very selective and elite class of buyers and to most of them, rear-seat comfort and ride quality are of prime importance - which is where BMW's product planning has focused on. Both the 'Li' variants have been designed keeping in mind the comfort for rear seat passengers and they boast of longest wheelbase in this segment. The additional 140mm of wheelbase on the 7-Series is specifically reserved to offer more in-cabin comfort to rear seat occupants and the car also has its own distinctive roofline merging into the C-pillar contour to give an uncompromised side view. The extended wheelbase coupled with a smartly designed roof-line also allowed the BMW engineers to increase the headroom by 10mm along with increasing legroom rear passengers. There is no doubt that BMW India has its goals set on spoiling the wealthy - if they want more, there is an option to order two single seats with a central console instead of the standard seat in the rear. The new 7-Series has every bit of technology packed in it and some more. The 750Li comes with the rear axle air suspension system as standard, which provides consistent ride height under all sorts of driving conditions enhancing the overall ride quality of the car. The new car also features an advanced version of BMW's Active Steering System that varies the steering angle on the front wheel with the help of an additional transmission. The most striking new feature though is the rear wheel steering that is governed by a concentrically placed motor with a spindle drive on the rear axle. The rear wheels have a maximum steering angle of 3 degrees which helps greatly for low-speed maneuverability and reduces the car's turning radius as well. Apart from allowing shorter turning and more precise steering at high speeds, the four-wheel steering system also reduces the roll of the car to further aid the ride comfort for the rear seat passengers. Contributing to the perfect balance of uncompromised ride quality and sporty dynamics are a host of technological features that come as standard fitment on the 2009 750Li. The Dynamic Damper Control and the Driving Dynamic Control work together in order to provide a fine balance of luxury and sporty driving. With the help of sensors located on each wheel, the Dynamic Damper Control system calculates the damper force required on each wheel individually and corrects the damping by altering the inbound and rebound pressure valves in the dampers.