Despite headwinds, the 7-Series is holding its own, insists Ian Robertson, BMW's global sales and marketing boss.
Well, perhaps in China. Robertson, 57, says BMW sells nearly half of its 7-Series volume there. BMW's most important market, China accounts for nearly one of every three BMWs sold globally.
China largely explains why BMW is vigorously pushing the reinvented 2016 7-Series. Big, luxury saloons carry plenty of cachet there, which means the 7 defines the brand like nothing else.
Canadians are another story – they generally sniff at showy rides. Sales of the 7, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the Porsche Panamera, Audi's A8, the Lexus LS and even Tesla's Model S number in the hundreds, not thousands.
Still, bragging rights matter with German car companies and, in Canada, the 7 is a disappointment. Last year, the rival Mercedes-Benz S-Class out-sold the 7 by about 3:1. In four of the last five years, the S has bested the 7.
None of this is lost on Robertson. He's whip-smart, challenging the premise of every question as we pick at coffee and dessert at the Welt, BMW's Munich delivery and brand centre stuffed with exhibits extolling all things BMW. Last year, 22,500 BMW customers drove away from here in a new BMW. It's worth a visit.
But for the 7-Series unveiling, BMW closed the Welt . When Robertson is asked why it's getting all this play and will get even more right up to launch in September at the Frankfurt motor show, he gives a look that suggests its the dumbest question ever.
The point, though, is that BMW's electrified i-brand cars, while still low-volume, speak eloquently about BMW's efficient dynamics push. The i8, he says, is BMW's flagship sports car; the 7, its flagship saloon. Totally different cars.
Well, yes. But the market for cars such as the 7 keeps shrinking. Last year, North American sales of premium luxury cars totalled less than half of pre-recession 2007 levels, reports Automotive News.
Even so, BMW must sell a 7-Series because it's an image car and there's a market for it. It also makes a profit, says Robertson. And the technology in the 2016 six-generation version tells the world where BMW is going with new models.
This fall, BMW will start selling two versions of the 7: the 750i xDrive and 750Li xDrive . In spring 2016, Canadians will get the 740Li xDrive and perhaps later in the year, an all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid, the 740e xDrive. Pricing starts at $100,100 and ranges to $182,600 and shouldn't change much for 2016, not including the discounts moving 2015 models.
BMW isn't doing much in the way of basic engine technology for the next 7; the 750i xDrive has a "redeveloped" 4.4-litre, turbocharged V-8 that makes the same 443 horsepower and 480 pounds-feet of torque as before. This suggests future powertrains will be seriously electrified, building on i-brand technologies.
The car's performance owes a debt to the i8 and i3. The 750 will be faster to 100 km/h (at 4.4 seconds) because the car has shed 86 kilograms based on an all-new passenger cell made of carbon fibre, high-strength steel and aluminum – the carbon fibre being adopted straight from the i-brand.
As for gee-whiz stuff, the standout is gesture-recognition control. It allows those up front to use hand movements to manage phone calls and navigation commands. The head-up display is the largest in the business, and there is a huge digital instrument panel.
Touch-sensitive climate controls are new and iDrive is yet-again refined. The eight-speed gearbox gets smarter software that allows it to manage gear changes based on road conditions communicated though the navigation system. This comes from BMW's Rolls-Royce cars.
In a nutshell, the newest 7 is a car first for China, then the world. It is also a car that speaks to BMW's future almost as eloquently as the i8. Almost, yes, but less so each passing year. Here's to an interesting and evolving future, Mr. Robertson. Next time, I'll try for smarter questions.
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