BMW 7 Series vs BMW 320d

What's the difference?

While the new 7 Series won’t visually appeal to everyone, nor is it at the forefront of spirited driving dynamics, it’s hard to argue that it isn’t fit for purpose.

Its rear theatre screen and lounge layout might seem gimmicky at first, but it’s difficult to think of a more comfortable way to be transported on wheels short of putting a chassis under your loungeroom. Even then, you’d have to ask someone for a massage.

This is one of those cases where a car becoming larger isn’t such a bad thing, and BMW should feel like it’s achieved, seemingly, what it set out to do in building an electric limousine that doesn’t fall short in range or dynamics.

If BMW can bring this level of refinement down to its more affordable models, its electric future is looking promising.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

Despite BMW's wholehearted embrace of the SUV its 3 Series is still a critically important model for the brand in Australia. And this new version certainly has the spec and tech to take the fight up to Merc's C-Class. And if you're in the happy position of making that choice, it's now a whole lot harder. For our money the 330i marks the sweet spot with extra performance, safety tech and standard features for only a fraction more than $3k over the 320d entry-point.

BMW freely calls the new 7 Series “monolithic” in its press material, and it’s hard to argue. The seventh-generation of its luxo limo is bigger in every dimension, and with a higher bonnet and bootlid, the car is convincingly imposing even when parked. Even more so in black.

From the front, the 7 Series clearly has a new face compared to its predecessor, with split headlights now an indicator of BMW’s luxury oriented models - the incoming XM SUV features the same.

Its LED daytime running lights feature Swarovski crystals, while the grille surround illuminates while the vehicle is parked and on. It’s currently unable to be illuminated while driving to comply with Australia’s laws.

It’s perhaps less elegant and more aggressive than previous generations, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be those who approve. It’s certainly emotive, especially when compared to the side and rear of the car.

The side profile of the 7 requires quite a few steps back from the car to really take in - it’s almost 5.4 metres long - though it's hard to hide the size of a car that allows its rear passengers to almost lay down.

From the rear, the 7 Series is probably at its most uninspiring, which is a reverse from the interior where the front feels more minimalistic than some of its rivals like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

BMW has used crystalline geometric shapes throughout the cabin, and the front ‘interaction bar’ is perhaps the best example.

In keeping with the minimalism, its screen sits in an almost freestanding style out from the dash, with no physical buttons seen around it.

At just over 4.7m nose-to-tail the new 3 Series has crept 76mm in overall length but that dimension is still more than 200mm shy of its next-size-up 5 Series sibling.

Changes to the exterior design are more evolutionary than revolutionary. You're never going to mistake this car for anything other than a BMW 3 Series.

But even if the face is familiar, aerodynamic efficiency is outstanding. BMW admits its claimed Cd of 0.23 was achieved with a base model running on 17-inch wheels (not offered here), but even if bigger rims knock a few fractions off that number it's still an amazing result for a conventional four door sedan.

Big contributors are a full width front spoiler, 'air curtains' managing flow around each corner of the nose, almost complete sealing of the largest areas underneath the car, and a functional rear diffuser section.

The signature kidney grille has grown and is delivered as a single piece, with active shutters incorporated to manage cooling air flow through to the engine. Twin adaptive LED headlights (standard on all models) feature a sharp notch on their lower edge, a big clue for new model spotters.

Broad, carefully managed surfaces characterise the bonnet and flanks of the car, with a distinct character line just above door handle height enhancing its confident stance.

The slightly smoked L-shaped LED tail-lights sit proud of the body, and 18-inch alloys are standard on the 320d, stepping up to 19s on the 330i.

The interior has been redesigned with revised controls and new materials, including slick 'aluminium teragon' finish on the console and dash in the M Sport.

As you can see in our interior images, it's been tidied up and simplified considerably, although it will still be instantly recognised by current BMW drivers.

Highlights are a 12.3-inch configurable digital 'Live Cockpit Professional' instrument display (lifted directly from the X5), a new 10.25-inch media touchscreen and a standard (larger) head-up display.

If the word ‘practicality’ brings to mind simplicity, the 7 Series might require you to have a bit of a mental reset. If it means plenty of space and a long list of elements to keep you comfortable, you’d be closer to the money.

While it’s visually restrained in some ways, the space accessible to the driver is thought out reasonably well, as you’d expect from a car costing more than a quarter-million.

The front seats certainly aren’t the main event, but the Merino leather and cashmere wool combination seats are far from uncomfortable, with the heating, cooling, and massage functions accessible from the central multimedia screen.

The controls for those, as well as functions like the climate control, are easily accessible, though could probably be even easier with a physical climate control panel. 

Controls for the individual vents, and even the glovebox are found along the BMW interaction bar, which can (frustratingly) reflect light thanks to its crystalline design, meaning it’s hard to see while driving on a sunny day.

Similarly, while the centre console where the main control dial for BMW’s 'iDrive' isn’t far removed from previous versions, it’s less tactile and requires a look sometimes to see what’s being pressed. Here, too, sunlight can reflect (this time off the dial) and make it more distracting.

Fortunately, the steering wheel controls remain physical buttons, and they’re laid out in a way that previous BMW owners or drivers will find familiar. 

The 7 Series also now leans more heavily on voice activation, so if the lack of physical climate controls or the multimedia screen is a little distracting, much can be achieved by actually asking the car with a “hey, BMW… ”.

There’s a large storage unit in the centre console, as well as two cupholders and a phone charging platform in front of the multimedia controls.

The rear seats, especially the one behind the front passenger, are where the 7 Series begins to feel its worth. If you’re buying one with the intention of being the driver 100 per cent of the time, you’re missing a trick.

The ability for the front passenger seat to shift forward and maximise legroom while the rear seat reclines into a lounge position is nothing new, limousine sedans have been able to do this for years, but the 7 Series takes it to another level.

Not only is there plenty of space for even the tallest of humans to stretch out, but the positioning and angle of the huge 31.3-inch theatre screen is great, even if it impedes the driver’s rear view, and the ability to use it as a touchscreen for some functions means less need for the handy but sometimes fiddly door-mounted control screen.

If you plan on playing games, the controls (and the fact you’re likely in a moving car) can make it a little difficult, but the small control panel is overall easy to use and well-placed.

The cushioned armrest that folds down in place of a middle passenger is comfortable, features a phone charging pad and pop-out cupholders, as well as a storage space under the armrest.

Finally, the boot space in the BMW 7 Series is far from small, with the electric i7 offering 500 litres (VDA) of space, while the 740i boasts 540 litres thanks to its lack of battery.

A longer wheelbase (+41mm) has helped increase overall cabin space and rear room specifically.

There's plenty of storage provided with a large lidded box between the front seats as well as two large size cupholders in a recessed section in front of the gear shift (which can be closed off with a roll-top style cover).

The glove box is large and there are big bins in the doors with separate holders for full-size bottles.

Rear legroom is generous. At 183cm, sitting behind my own driving position, there was plenty of fresh air between knees and seatback, with lots of foot room to boot.

Headroom was more marginal with a straight back leading to a bonce/roof interface. But there are adjustable rear vents, twin cupholders in a fold-down centre armrest, and big bottle holders in the doors. Multiple USB ports (Type A and Type C) and a 12-volt power outlet are provided front and rear.

The boot space offers up a 480-litre luggage capacity with a 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat increasing cargo flexibility. Local towing capacity is yet to be confirmed, but indicative (European) ratings for both models are 750kg for an unbraked trailer and 1600kg braked.

Standard rubber is run-flat so there's no spare of any description.

Pricing for the two-model launch line-up starts at just under $67,900 before on-road costs for the 320d, rising to $70,990 for the 330i.

That means it remains head-to-head with comparable Merc C-Class models, and other premium mid-size competitors like the Audi A4, Jaguar XE and Lexus IS.

Given many previous Australia-bound 3 Series models have been built in South Africa it's fair to ask where is the BMW 3 Series built, and the answer this time around is Germany.

And the standard features list is long, including 'Adaptive LED headlights' (with 'High-Beam Assistant'), LED fog lights and tail-lights, electrically adjustable and heated exterior mirrors (with electric fold-in function), rain-sensing wipers, three-zone climate control, electrically-adjustable sports front seats (with memory function for driver and front passenger), wireless smartphone charging, 'Aluminium Tetragon' interior trim finishers, 12.3-inch 'BMW Live Cockpit Professional' digital instrument display, 'Navigation System Professional' with 10.25-inch digital touchscreen display also managing a 10-speaker, 205-watt sound system, including a 20GB hard drive and DAB+ digital radio. Apple CarPlay is included.

Also included are 'BMW TeleServices' taking in 'ConnectedDrive'(free use of vehicle apps via 'BMW Online'), real-time traffic info and 'Concierge Services'. The 'BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant' responds to a "Hey BMW' voice command with a range of hands-free functions like nav, calls and texts. We had mixed success in challenging this friendly PA.

The default M Sport trim includes 18-inch 'M Double-spoke' light alloy wheels, BMW Individual high-gloss 'Shadow Line' black treatment on the window frame and air breather surround, the 'M Aerodynamics package' (aero front and rear bumper trims, and side sills), Alcantara/Sensatec (vinyl) upholstery (black with contrast blue stitching), Anthracite BMW Individual headliner, and an M leather steering wheel (with multifunction buttons).

The no-cost 'Luxury Line' treatment swaps in 'Vernasca' leather seats, ash grey-brown interior wood trim, a sport leather steering wheel, the instrument panel trimmed in Sensatec and standard level sport seats for the driver and front passenger.

Step up to the 330i and you can add 19-inch alloys, 'Vernasca' leather upholstery, 'Comfort Access' (keyless entry to all doors), adaptive suspension, M Sport brakes, 'Driving Assistant Professional' (active cruise control with 'Stop&Go' function, front and rear cross-traffic warning, steering and lane control assist, lane keeping assistant with side collision warning, crossroads warning and 'Evasion Aid'), and 'Parking Assistant Plus' ('Parking Assistant' with 'Active Park Distance Control' rear, 'Reversing Assistant', 'Surround View', 'Panorama View', and '3D View').

In terms of colours, 'Alpine White' and black are no-cost, wihle metallic shades - 'Black Saphire', 'Melbourne Red', 'Glacier Silver', 'Mineral White', 'Mineral Grey', 'Mediterranean Blue', 'Sunset Orange', 'Velmont Bronze' (brown), and 'Portimao Blue' add $2000 (rrp). And the 'BMW Individual' metallic shade of 'Dravit Grey' adds $2350. 

Lots and lots of fruit without any change to the price. Clearly BMW is determined to bring the 3 Series back to prominence.

The BMW 740i is powered by a 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder petrol engine, as is the way with many of BMW’s larger cars. It’s also a mild hybrid, incorporating a 48-volt electric starter/motor combination.

The 740i makes 280kW between 5200-6250rpm, and 520Nm between 1850-5000rpm, which is transferred to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The electric i7 xDrive60 is the flagship model, with its dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain good for 400kW and 745Nm, allowing for a claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.7 seconds - 0.7s faster than the 740i.

The 320d is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo-diesel, featuring common-rail direct-injection and variable inlet timing. It produces 140kW at 4000rpm and 400Nm between 1750-2500rpm.

The turbo's multi-stage design incorporates a small, high-pressure, fixed-vane turbocharger as well as a larger, low-pressure, variable-vane turbo to maximise response, performance and efficiency.

A 2.0-litre single turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine sits under the 330i's bonnet incorporating direct-injection, as well as variable valve and cam timing. Peak outputs are 190kW from 5000-6500rpm and 400Nm between 1550-4400rpm.

Mark the date because this is the first time the BMW 3 Series has been offered in Australia without a manual gearbox option. Both launch models send drive to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic (with wheel-mounted shift paddles) only.

BMW Australia hasn’t yet specified local figures for fuel consumption or energy efficiency for either variant of the 7 Series at the time of our review, but the international specifications for both i7 xDrive60 and 740i give a relatively accurate guide.

BMW claims the electric i7 has a power consumption of between 19.6 and 18.4kWh/100km, which means its 101.7kWh battery allows a range of between 591 and 625km according to the brand.

It’s claimed to charge from 10 per cent to full in less than 5.5 hours with a 22kW AC wallbox, or in 34 minutes to reach 80 per cent using DC fast charging at 195kW.

The petrol powered 740i will use between 7.0 and 8.0 litres per 100km, according to BMW, which equates to between 183 and 159g/km of CO2.

Despite each car's performance potential claimed fuel economy for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is commendably low.

BMW says the 320d delivers excellent diesel fuel economy, consuming a miserly 4.5L/100km, emitting 119g/km of CO2 in the process, with the 330i's fuel consumption figure coming in at 6.4L/100km and 147g/km.

You'll need minimum 95 RON premium unleaded in the 330i, with both petrol and diesel requiring 59 litres to fill the tank to full capacity.

BMW hopes for two things for the new 7 Series: one, that it’s the best car to be driven in, and two, that it’s the best car to drive.

While one of those things could be argued to be true, we suspect there are some engineers in BMW’s M department who would be frustrated at the thought of a more-than 2.6-tonne limo being called better to drive than a car half that size with a manual gearbox.

But, perhaps unsurprisingly, the BMW 7 Series is rather refined from the driver’s seat, especially on roads where the speed limit is high and the corners are long.

The two variants Australia has available, the i7 xDrive60 and the 740i, differ in their drivetrains as mentioned above, and the dynamics of each are slightly different. 

The all-wheel drive electric i7, despite its extra heft (the 740i is almost 600kg lighter) the EV feels more nimble thanks to its immediate torque delivery and higher outputs give it more flexibility in dynamic driving.

The lower centre of gravity, even with the extra weight, helps the electric i7 hold its own against the turbo six-powered 740i.

Both variants come standard with BMW’s rear-wheel steer system, or ‘Integral Active Steering’, which is vital to providing the agility needed for keeping the 7 Series in shape on tight roads, where it tightens the turning circle below 60km/h, though its 3215mm wheelbase does a lot to keep it feeling stable.

Above 60km/h, the rear-wheel steering improves stability further by turning slightly with the front wheels as opposed to against them, allowing for smoother flowing cornering and highway lane changes.

In either case, the 7 Series is easy to drive, with the steering able to be set to Comfort regardless of the drivetrain’s intensity (Sport and Comfort are the only options), which leaves the wheel feeling lighter.

The ride, whether from the front or the back, is impressive, even when being chauffeured through rough backroads. 

The 7 Series, despite not being engineered specifically for Australia’s sometimes shockingly pockmarked roads, manages to soak up impacts before they transfer from the tyre into the seats, and that goes for the sound and road noise, too.

Unfortunately, our launch test drive was hampered by some roadworks out of BMW’s control, so stay tuned for a more in-depth drive soon.

First, the performance figures. BMW claims the 320d will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 6.8sec, which is agreeably quick, while the 330i knocks that down to 5.8sec, which is properly fast.

Both engines deliver the same 400Nm of maximum torque at low rpm; 1750-2500rpm for the 320d, and a broader 1550-4400rpm spread for the 330i. Mid-range acceleration is strong and satisfyingly linear in each, the 330i that bit more urgent at the top end.

The eight-speed auto is velvety smooth, with the wheel-mounted shift paddles on hand for rapid 'manual' changes. Engine noise is muted at low revs but nice and rorty under pressure.

A stated aim in the development of this 3 Series was "dynamic engagement", and the standard strut front, multi-link rear suspension has been tuned to reinforce the driving part of the brand's long-standing 'ultimate driving machine' promise.

The standard suspension includes tricky two-stage dampers front and rear, but with all cars at the local launch fitted with the optional active damper system we'll have to wait to report on its quality (or otherwise).

This car's centre-of-gravity is 10mm lower than the model it replaces, which may not sound like much, but in engineering terms, absolutely is. In concert with a perfect 50:50 front-to-rear weight distribution, and wider tracks front and rear, it helps deliver an overall planted feel and predictable cornering balance.

The electro-mechanically assisted steering is accurate and linear with good road feel, which is not always the case in recent Beamers.

The launch fleet was also rolling on 19-inch rims (standard on 330i, optional on 320d) shod with Bridgestone Turanza run-flat rubber (225/40f - 255/35r) and despite that type of tyre's reputation for harsh characteristics and a moderate level of road noise, ride comfort on the typically coarse rural roads we covered in the Victorian high country was impressive.

Braking on both models is by ventilated disc front and rear, and even in spirited cornering maintained their power and efficiency. The M Sport brake package fitted to the 330i dials things up with four-piston alloy calipers (sourced from Brembo) up front.

The standard sports steering wheel is fat and grippy, the sports front seats combine firm location with long-distance comfort and overall noise levels are low. Overall, this is a super-impressive touring car.

The new 3's active safety package is exactly where it needs to be, with all the 'cost-of-entry' items like ASC, DSC, ABS, 'Braking Assist', and traction control included. But additional tech includes everything from all-speed AEB, 'Lane Departure Warning', 'Lane Change Warning', head-up display and 'Front Collision Warning' (with brake intervention), to 'Cornering Brake Control', 'Rear Cross-Traffic Warning', 'Rear Collision Prevention', 'Speed Limit Information', 'Parking Assist' (with 'Reversing Assistant') and 'Dynamic Braking Lights'.

Step up to the 330i and you can add 'Steering and Lane Control Assist', 'Emergency Stop Assistant', 'Auto Speed Limit Assist', 'Lane Keeping Assist', 'Front Cross-Traffic Warning', 'Evasion Aid', 'Crossroads Warning' (with 'City Braking' function), 'Wrong Way Warning', as well as 'Parking Assistant Plus' (with 'Surround View Camera' and 'Remote 3D View').

On the passive side, the airbag count runs to eight (front and side airbags for driver and front passenger, and head airbags for all four outer seats). 'Intelligent Emergency Call' is also included.

There three top tether anchors for child seats/baby restraints across the back seat, with ISOFIX anchors on the two outer positions.

This seventh-generation 3 Series is yet to be assessed by ANCAP or EuroNCAP, but it's a safe bet it will pick up a maximum five-star safety rating.  

BMW offers a five year, unlimited kilometre warranty and that extends to both variants of the 7 Series.

BMW also offers servicing packs for its new cars, though the pricing for each group of models excluded the 7 and 8 Series and its M cars. 

Given the most expensive servicing pack listed is the BMW X7’s $2800 five-year, 80,000km pack, expect anything similar for the 7 Series to cost more.

In terms of when servicing is required, BMWs are condition-based, meaning the car’s own systems detect whether something like an oil change or part replacement is required, and provides that data to your BMW service centre to help calculate an estimate for work needed, ahead of time.

BMW offers a three year/unlimited km warranty, which is drifting off the pace now with the majority of mainstream brands stepping up to five-year cover, with some at seven.

On the upside, bodywork is covered for 12 years, the paint for three, and 24-hour roadside assistance is complimentary for three years.

Servicing is condition based, so the car tells you when maintenance is required, and BMW offers a range of service packages in 'Basic' and 'Plus' grades up to 10 years/200,000km.