2016 BMW 750Li M Sport India review, test drive

Incredible performance, hugely improved luxury and comfort, and next-gen tech are what define BMW’s new flagship V8 limousine.

Published on Feb 24, 2016 05:25:00 PM

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2016 BMW 750Li M Sport India review, test drive

What’s it like inside?

We accused the previous 7-series’ interior of looking and feeling a bit too much like every other BMW, and happily, that’s something we could never say about this new one. It now feels like a proper one-crore-plus luxury limousine. No more plastic buttons and switches, it’s all metal now. The wood veneers too look much richer, and every bit of leather is double stitches. There are new design flourishes too, and for the first time in ages, this feels like a thoroughly new BMW interior. And though it’s refreshingly new, the interior still doesn’t deviate from BMW’s driver-focussed DNA. Sure, much of this will filter down to the next-generation 5-series, 3-series and even the SUVs, but like with recent Mercedes interiors, we feel they’ll only be better for it.

The front seats, as before, offer incredible levels of adjustment and are suitable to any size of driver. At the all-important rear, BMW seems to have taken a page from its super-luxury brand Rolls-Royce, offering big, plush-cushioned chairs you sit ‘on’ rather than ‘in’. Space is more than you’ll ever need, of course, and though the seats recline quite generously, we find the seating angle a little awkward when they do. The 7-series has taken a clue from the S-class in providing pillows over the headrests, but while you can send the front seat forward from the rear, there’s no footrest. Here too, seat adjustments are just fantastic, and you won’t want for more comfort. All four seats offer quite a comprehensive list of massage functions and are heated too.

You could write a whole separate review on the new tech in this car, so we’ll try to sum up the highlights. The 360-degree cameras actually move as you steer the car for an even more comprehensive view, and can even create an ‘augmented reality’ display of the car in its environment, on the screen! When the engine is cool enough, the slats in the grille fold shut for better aerodynamics. There’s a detachable Samsung tablet in the back seat that controls just about everything from lighting, to sun-blinds and sunroofs, to entertainment, seats, navigation and vehicle information – and it works as just an Android tablet too. And finally, iDrive, the screen-based infotainment unit that pioneered the ‘click-wheel’ control scheme is now even better. You can now control it by click-wheel, a touchpad, a touch screen and even by waving your hand to form gestures; the last method works with varying degrees of success. Even the heads-up display is so full of information now, you don’t feel the need to ever look at the dials. It’s worth remembering, however, that our test car is a CBU with a customised interior, so some of this tech and equipment may not be available on the locally assembled diesel car.