BMW Series 7 Hybrid
It took a while for BMW to offer a hybrid car, HEV, its Series 7 is finally here.
The gist is that we do not think of Lexus, Mercedes and BMW as fuel thrifty cars but we do expect HEVs to be. So where does BMW’s new Series-7 Hybrid fit the bill? Performance and luxury, yes, but low fuel consumption and small carbon footstep, not really. Somehow, it will find a market.
Technically Speaking. With its combined electric and gas 459bhp, it boasts a reasonable 30.1mpg for such a car. Its 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 is a re-tuned 750i engine bumped up to 444bhp for 700Nm at 2,000rpm. The electric motor is shoehorned in the eight-speed gearbox and only gives boosts under low to medium acceleration, according to AutoExpress.
So what can we say about BMW’s first real attempt at an HEV? Certainly, BMW is out to compete with the likes of Lexus and Mercedes. The Series-7 HEV is a conundrum. It would seem anyone who can afford a Series-7 would not care whether it is a hybrid or not. All in all, this is a high-end BMW sedan and we can only be happy it improves in efficiency over its gas guzzling sibling.