Taxi Today: Test Drive BMW 740 xDrive MHEV - Perfect Entry

In the league of luxury sedans, eight cylinders remain the standard when it comes to combustion engines. Many even dream of a V12, but BMW has long since put an end to that. For frequent drivers, the Diesel 740d is an option, but there is no doubt that even highly efficient diesel engines have it increasingly hard in times of rising electrification. BMW offers its new 7 Series as the 740 xDrive with a base engine that is in itself far more than just that. The three-liter inline-six, thanks to turbocharging, delivers a stately 294 kW / 400 hp and a hefty torque of 580 Nm. A small electric motor with 13 kW / 18 hp lends the nearly 5.40-meter-long colossus true wings when sprinting or cruising in the city and even pushes real-world fuel consumption noticeably below the ten-liter mark.

The door closes automatically

Get in, put your foot on the brake, and the driver's door closes quietly without the chauffeur's intervention. What may sound superfluous quickly becomes a luxury standard. Because as much as the electric opening mechanism sometimes balks, whether because the parking neighbor leaves too little space or you personally stand in the way of the Sesame opening, the automatic snapping shut of the door via pedal pressure becomes part of everyday life. The noble leather seats with all conceivable adjustment options, massage or refined climate control set standards worldwide—even in this segment. The look at altered instruments in the style of the new class is a matter of taste. The classic instrument cluster behind the steering wheel is missing and the narrow information horizon is not necessarily something for everyone—especially not for those who for decades had driven the well-designed instrumentation into their car's heart. The same goes for the grippy leather steering wheel. Simple operation without looking—that was once.

Still, the imposing 18-inch central display and the long-overdue passenger screen in this class complement the system: panoramic display, head-up display, and the three rear-seat screens—two control modules in the doors and the gigantic cinema screen. Space, comfort level and even the driver assistance on the toned-down Level-2-Plus—all are absolutely first class. Add to that fine workmanship, noble surfaces and a noise level that can be adequately described only as whisper-quiet. If the 7 Series BMW didn't subject itself to one or two control shortcomings due to deep menu structures and an icon overload, it would be nearly perfect.