BMW News

Luxury, economy, and lower emissions are terms that have been difficult to include all in the same description of a car. That is no longer a problem since BMW will start shipping the 2017 BMW 740e xDrive iPerformance to retail centers in the U.S. this month.

This newest version of the G11/G12 7 Series that was launched last year has all the amenities you would expect in BMW’s luxury flagship sedan plus much better fuel mileage since the gasoline engine is assisted by an electric motor. Naturally, the electrified aspect of the new 7’s drivetrain means lower CO2 emissions. Add the lighter, stronger Carbon Core body structure and BMW’s xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive system, and you can add lighter and safer to the list of words that describe this car.

The 2017 BMW 740e xDrive iPerformance is propelled by a plug-in hybrid drive system developed with knowledge gained from BMW’s i division, hence the iPerformance designation. The 740e joins the BMW X5e and 330e in the iPerformance stable of electrified versions of “regular” BMW vehicles, if there is such a thing. They also follow the lead of BMW’s first plug-in hybrid, the BMW i8.

The new 740e’s drivetrain is anchored by a two-liter, four-cylinder, BMW TwinPower Turbo gasoline engine, a member of the BMW Group’s new EfficientDynamics engine family. With 255 horsepower, it is the most powerful four-cylinder engine BMW has ever put into a series production car. Torque peaks at 295 pound-feet between 1,550 and 4,400 rpm.

The TwinScroll turbocharger is integrated into the 740e’s internal combustion engine cast-steel exhaust manifold. The engine uses BMW’s High Precision Injection with a maximum pressure of 200 bar, and the latest Valvetronic variable valve lift and variable camshaft control on both the intake and exhaust sides (Double-VANOS). Electronically switchable motor mounts smooth engine vibrations.

In a conventional 7 Series, the car’s eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmission would be mated with the gasoline engine and transfer the power to the drive wheels. In the 740e, BMW has placed a 111-horsepower permanently excited synchronous electric motor in front of the transmission. This little beauty adds another 184 pound-feet of torque and boosts the gasoline engine to provide instantaneous power and throttle response.

The transmission is automatic, but the 740e also comes standard with gearshift paddles on the steering wheel to allow the driver to become more intimate with the powertrain as desired.

The BMW Group rates the complete life cycle environmental impact of the car using the CO2e emissions produced by everything from the extraction of raw materials through the entire manufacturing process, the actual use of the vehicle, and the recycling that occurs at the end of the vehicle’s useful life. BMW Group has determined that the 740e xDrive iPerformance CO2e impact is approximately 30 percent lower than that of the gasoline powered 740i over the car’s full life cycle.

The BMW 740e may be driven in all-electric eDrive only, without using the combustion engine, for approximately 14 miles and up to 75 miles per hour. This makes short trips and errand runs very economical. However, the electric part of the powertrain has a much greater effect on the overall efficiency of the system in certain driving modes by augmenting the combustion engine and reducing the gasoline needed.

The eDrive button on the center console allows the driver to select from the Auto eDrive, Max eDrive, and Battery Control settings, to tell the car how to use the hybrid system.

Auto eDrive is automatically activated when the vehicle starts up and uses intelligent energy management to make the combustion engine and electric motor work together for the best efficiency and dynamics. In this mode, the system defaults to all-electric mode at low and moderate speeds. The combustion engine starts up at around 50 mph or under heavy throttle applications.

In Max eDrive, the car runs by electricity alone, unless the driver kicks down the throttle, which activates the combustion engine.

The driver can direct the high-voltage battery to keep a certain level of charge between 30 and 100 percent by activating Battery Control manually. This reserves the battery for electric-only mode as the driver wishes. For example, the car can cruise the Interstate in one of the normal driving modes, then have a battery reserve for emission-free driving in a local area or urban setting.  

When the driver wants maximum performance, as BMW drivers often do, moving the gearshift lever into Sport mode provides the maximum combined output of the entire drive system

Since the 740e is a plug-in hybrid, new owners might want to become familiar with the various methods of charging, which range from the Level 1 120-volt occasional use charger (OUC) that comes with the car and can plug into a household electrical outlet, to a 240-volt residential charging station, to the public charging points operated in the ChargeNow network.

The battery can be charged to full capacity in under 7 hours using the OUC. The BMW Charging Station with its output of 3.6kW to 7.2 kW (16/32 A, 240 V) can cut that charging time to just under three hours. Owners can also look into a variety of aftermarket Level 2 chargers that may be hard-wired or plugged in to 240-volt circuits.

Anyone who cares to look will immediately recognize the “e” aspect of the 740e. First, there’s the electric charging door on the left front fender. The C-pillars and the door sill plates sport an eDrive badge. The front side panels wear the BMW i logo, the wheels have BMW i Blue hub covers, and the BMW kidney grille bars are also BMW i Blue

The Central Information Display provides all of the information normally available on BMWs using iDrive, but can also show owners real-time energy flow information, the state of charge of the high-voltage lithium-ion battery, electric range, overall range, current gasoline and electricity consumption, and the flow of regenerated electricity into the battery. BMW Connected apps will also allow 740e owners to monitor their car’s charge status and range on their smartphones.

While some of the options on this car are mind-blowing, the list of standard equipment is still extraordinary. The BMW 740e xDrive iPerformance comes standard with LED headlights, the BMW Display Key, the ConnectedDrive navigation package, smartphone integration with wireless charging for mobile phones, an iDrive operating system expanded to include a touchscreen function for the Control Display, and the globally unique BMW Gesture Control feature. Auxiliary heating and air conditioning let occupants precondition the interior temperature ahead of time. The heating and air conditioning system works almost silently due to the electric operation of the refrigerant compressor and water heater. 

In addition, the BMW Connected app allows the driver to activate the auxiliary air conditioning function from outside the car via a smartphone. It also supplies information on the charge of the high-voltage battery, the location of public charging stations, the distance covered on electric power alone and the amount of gasoline saved as a result.

The BMW 7 Series rides on two-axle air suspension with automatic self-leveling and Dynamic Damper Control. Integral Active Steering is optional. ISOFIX child seat mounting points are built into the rear seating area.

Ambience Lighting is standard and includes the LED Light Carpet and Ambient highlight in the rear passenger area. New 740e owners can go crazy with luxury options such as a Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System, the Ambient Air package, comfort seats, active seat ventilation, the massage function with Vitality Program, and the heated front and rear armrests for both front and rear seats. For a unique visual experience, they can also order the Panoramic Sky Lounge LED Roof.

Driver assistance systems include the newest-generation BMW Head-Up Display, Parking Assistant, Active Driving Assistant, Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Active Lane Keeping Assistant with side collision avoidance and Surround View systems.

The 2017 BMW 740e xDrive iPerformance is already in production and will arrive at U.S. dealerships this month with a base MSRP of at $89,100 plus $995 Destination and Handling. The “Build Your Own” BMW 740e configurator is active on www.bmwusa.com. —Scott Blazey

[Photos courtesy of BMW AG.]

BMW 740e xDrive iPerformance Specifications.

Four doors/five seats

Length: 206.2 inches/5238 mm

Width: 74.8 inches/1902 mm

Height:  58.2 inches/1479 mm

Wheelbase:  126.4 inches/3210 mm

Front track: 63.7 inches/1617 mm

Rear track: 64.8 inches/1646 mm

Ground clearance: 5.31 inches/135 mm

Turning circle: 42.3 feet/12.9 m

Fuel tank capacity: 12.15 gallons/46 l

Engine oil capacity: 5.25 l

Unloaded weight: 4,409 pounds/2000 kg

Max load: 1444 pounds/655 kg

Max loaded weight: 5852 pounds/2655 kg

Max roof load: 220 pounds/100 kg

Luggage capacity: 14.8 cubic feet/420 liters

Drive System:  Full hybrid drive, torque vectoring to all four wheels from one or both units via BMW xDrive

Total system output: 322 horsepower

Total system torque: 369 pound-feet

Fuel grade: Minimum RON 91

High-voltage battery: Lithium-ion underneath rear seat

Capacity: 9.2kWh

Charging time for 100% charge: Less than 3 hours at 3.7 kW (16 A / 230 V)

BMW 740e xDrive iPerformance

Front Suspension: Double track control arm axle with separate lower track arm level, aluminum, small steering roll radius, anti-dive, air suspension with automatic self-leveling

Rear Suspension: Five-link axle, aluminum, with steering function, anti-squat and anti-dive, double acoustic separation, air suspension with automatic self-leveling

Front brakes:  Four-piston fixed-caliper disc brakes, vented

Rear brakes: Single-piston floating-caliper disc brakes, vented

Driving stability systems:

Standard:

•  DSC including ABS, ASC and DTC (Dynamic Traction Control)

•  Cornering Brake Control (CBC)

•  Dynamic Brake Control (DBC)

•  Dry Braking function

•  Fading Compensation

•  Start-Off Assistant

•  DSC cross-linked with xDrive all-wheel drive

•  Dynamic Damper Control

        

Standard Safety Equipment:

•  Airbags for driver and front passenger

•  Side airbags for driver and front passenger

•  Head airbags for 1st and 2nd seat row

•  Three-point inertia-reel belts on all seats integrated at the front with belt tensioner and belt force limiter

•  Crash sensors

•  Tire pressure indicator

Electric Power Steering (EPS) with Servotronic function. Optional: Integral Active Steering

Tires:  245/50 R18 642

Wheels: 8 J × 18 light alloy

Performance

Acceleration 0–60 mph: 5.1 seconds

Maximum speed (electronically limited: 155 mph

Maximum electric-only speed: 75 mph

BMW EfficientDynamics standard features:

•  BMW eDrive technology

•  Electric Power Steering (EPS)

•  Hybrid-specific Auto Start Stop function

•  Optimum Shift Indicator

•  ECO PRO mode with coasting function and Proactive Driving Assistant

•  BMW EfficientLightweight, optimized aerodynamic attributes

   - Active air vents

   - On-demand operation of ancillary units

   - Map-controlled oil pump

   - Detachable a/c compressor

   - Rear differential and power divider with optimized warm-up behavior

   - Tires with reduced roll resistance