Review
BMW 750d xDrive
BMW recently added a new top version to the diesel range of the 7 Series. From now on, it is also available as a 750d xDrive or as a 750Ld xDrive with a power of no less than 400 hp. We were introduced to the most powerful diesel through a test drive with the 750d xDrive.
4 turbos
The 750d xDrive has a 3.0-liter diesel engine with six cylinders in-line and no fewer than 4 turbos. BMW itself talks about the most powerful six-cylinder diesel engine in the world. The power of this block is no less than 400 hp and the max. torque is 760 Nm. The 750d goes from 0-100 km/h in just 4.6 seconds and the maximum speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h. The 750d has intelligent all-wheel drive (xDrive) and uses an eight-speed automatic transmission. Personally, we are fans of four-wheel drive, so we think that is a big plus, especially on a car that also allows for sporty driving. On paper the 750d can present very sporty figures, in practice it is mainly the atmosphere of luxury and comfort that also characterizes the 750d. For example, if you kick the 750d on its tail, you will hear some engine noise, but that is rather in the background. The car also does not hang tight in the bend, and does not feel uncomfortable in the most sporty setting.
Adaptive Mode
One of the novelties on the BMW 7 Series is Adaptive Mode. Via the ‘Driving Experience Control’ you can also choose Adaptive Mode in addition to SPORT, COMFORT and ECO PRO. The advantage of this mode is that the system takes into account various factors such as kickdown, steering movements, Cruise Control and the driver’s personal driving style in order to automatically adapt the vehicle settings to the driving situation at that moment. The system then influences the settings of the chassis, steering and transmission. In combination with the Professional navigation system, the system also takes map data into account in order to obtain the optimal set-up of the vehicle, for example for an approaching intersection or upcoming winding road.
Gesture control
When a new 7 Series is released, you naturally expect it to excel and boast the most innovative features. The new 7 Series certainly does not disappoint. You can also operate the iDrive system with a number of hand movements “in the air”. These movements are detected by a 3D sensor. This allows you, for example, to change the volume of the music by rotating your finger in the air or you can also refuse or accept a telephone call. However, what we found very practical and also impressive is that you can also operate the parking camera with surround view with gesture control (see demo in the video). For example, if you want to drive backwards in the city and you do not immediately have a good view, you can literally use the gesture control to grab the car on the iDrive display and turn it until you have optimal visibility to drive backwards. The iDrive display is now also equipped with a touch screen. For example, you can enter a destination in your GPS by tapping the destination on the map.
Autonomous driving
Thanks to steering and lane guidance assistance with Traffic Queue Assistant, the 7 Series can actively support the driver while driving. With the traffic jam assistant, the system automatically maintains the desired distance from the vehicle in front, the system also drives and stops itself at speeds of up to 210 km/h and the system ensures that the car drives in the middle of the road. You are supposed to keep your hands on the handlebars. If you do not do this, the system will go into standby after a few warnings. With the Remote Control Parking option you can get out and drive the car forwards or backwards into a garage with the help of the remote control, ideal for when you have little space. You can also switch off the engine via the remote control after parking.
Air suspension
The new 7 Series is equipped as standard with air suspension with automatic level control on the 2 axles and Dynamic Damper Control. This makes every ride buttery smooth. Truly buttery soft. The air in the suspension comes from a compressor that is electrically powered. The advantage of this is that the height of the body remains adjusted, even when the engine is not running. The air supply for each wheel is also controlled separately. This also allows the air suspension to do its job, for example when the weight of a load is not evenly distributed. You can also manually increase the ride height by 20 mm. Handy when you have to drive on a bad road or have to take a speed bump that is much too high. If you put the car in sport mode, it is lowered by 10 mm when you drive at high speed.
Conclusion
With its 400 hp, the 750d is the new king of the 7 series diesel range. In addition to extremely smooth driving, it is above all the atmosphere of luxury and comfort that also characterizes the 750d. We also find numerous innovations on the 7 series. In particular, we have not been able to experience the gesture control on any other car. Especially in combination with the 360 degree camera, this offers added value in many traffic situations.
Johan De Haes
Test driver
