BMW 7 Series vs Volkswagen Caddy

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.

It’s not hard to see why the Caddy Cargo maintains its enduring favouritism in the small van class. It has outstanding workhorse capabilities, unmatched five-star safety and drivetrain choice, combined with a spirited car-like driving experience, be it unladen or with a heavy payload. It’s not perfect, but it's also hard to fault in a workhorse role.

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.

Our test vehicle rides on a 2755mm wheelbase with 4500mm overall length, yet its 11.4-metre turning circle is slightly larger than a Toyota HiAce mid-sized van, which highlights the restrictions in steering lock shared by front-wheel-drive vehicles like the Caddy and its French rivals.

Underneath you’ll find robust MacPherson strut front suspension, a coil-spring beam rear axle with Panhard rod, four-wheel disc brakes and electric power-assisted steering.

It comes well armoured for work duties with unpainted dark grey plastic used in areas where bumps, scrapes and wear usually occur like the front/rear bumpers (including the rear pillars from top to bottom), door-handles and door mirror-shells. The bright silver alloy-look plastic wheel-covers can also be easily replaced if damaged by kerbs to keep this van looking sharp on the job.

Its purposeful external appearance is matched by a neat and practical cabin design with wipe-clean rubber flooring and fabric-trimmed bucket seats for driver and passenger. Hard surfaces abound in contrasting shades of grey with splashes of satin chrome.

The minimalist dash design is achieved by corralling most functions into the comparatively small (by today's standards) central touchscreen including often-used climate control, engine auto start-stop etc., which can be fiddly and distracting when driving. Thankfully, at least physical dials for audio volume and tuning remain.

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.

The Caddy’s 1508kg tare weight and 2250kg GVM results in a 742kg payload rating, of which up to 100kg can be legally carried on the roof where external anchorage points are provided for roof racks or rails.

It’s also rated to tow up to 1500kg of braked trailer, although its relatively low 75kg tow-ball download (TBD) limit could present a challenge, given that TBD is typically about 10 per cent of trailer weight. So, a 150kg TBD rating would be better.

Volkswagen also does not publish a GCM (Gross Combination Mass) rating, so we don’t know how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time.

The cargo bay, which offers up to 3.1 cubic metres of load volume, is accessed through a kerbside sliding door or asymmetric rear barn-doors.

Its 1797mm length and 1614mm width with 1230mm between the rear wheel-housings provides good versatility, given it can carry an 1165mm-square Aussie pallet or 1000 x 1200mm Euro 3 pallet, two 800mm x 1200mm Euro pallets, or two 720 x 830mm bread-roll containers.

However, with the sliding side-door’s 695mm opening, all of these would need to be loaded through the rear barn-doors which offer 180-degree opening for easy forklift or loading dock access. The load floor is protected by a thick moulded-rubber liner and there are six load-anchorage points.

The cargo bay walls and doors are lined to mid-height and there are two bright LED roof lights and a handy 12-volt socket.

Driver and passenger have ample cabin storage with large-bottle holders and bins in each front door, a handy pull-out compartment to the right of the steering column, numerous bins embedded in the dash-pad, full-width overhead shelf, a large glovebox and a centre console with dual small-bottle/cup holders and numerous storage nooks.

Our test vehicle in standard Candy White is the Cargo SWB, which at entry-level is available with a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine with six-speed manual or seven-speed auto. Or you can step-up to a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel with either a six-speed manual or (like our example) a seven-speed auto for a price of $45,990 plus on-road costs.

That’s higher than its two small van competitors, given the Renault Kangoo SWB petrol auto lists at $42,990 and Peugeot’s Partner Pro Short petrol auto is $39,990, but the Cargo is unique in offering five-star safety and its drivetrain choices.

The work-focused standard equipment list includes 16-inch steel wheels with plastic covers, 205/60R16 tyres and a full-size spare. There’s also an electronic handbrake, separate cargo bay locking system, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, heated door mirrors, daytime running lights, two USB-C ports and two 12-volt sockets.

A moulded composite bulkhead with window separates the cabin from the cargo bay. The driver also gets a leather-trimmed flat-bottom steering wheel with multi-function controls, plus adjustable lumbar support for both driver and passenger seats.

The four-speaker multimedia system is controlled by an 8.25-inch colour touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink connectivity and FM radio, but no DAB or (sorry, talkback fans) AM band.

Volkswagen also offers numerous paint colour options and four option packs, plus there’s a genuine accessories range containing useful workhorse items like all-weather floor mats, roof racks, cargo barriers, dashcams and more.

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.

Our test vehicle’s premium 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, dubbed TDI320, meets Euro6 emission standards using AdBlue, and produces 90kW at 4250rpm and 320Nm between 1500-2500rpm.

The seven-speed dual-clutch automatic offers three drive modes comprising (default) Drive, Sport or sequential manual-shifting using steering wheel-mounted paddles. There’s also an electronically-controlled automatic locking diff.

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.

The official combined average fuel consumption is a hybrid-like 4.9L/100km and the dash display was showing 5.6L after our 355km test, of which about one third of that distance was hauling a near-maximum payload.

That wasn’t far south of our own fuel-sipping figure of 6.5L/100km, based on actual tripmeter and fuel bowser readings. Therefore, you could expect an excellent real-world driving range of up to 770km from its 50-litre tank.

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.

Its compact external dimensions are deceptive, as the cabin has ample headroom and it’s not hard for even tallish drivers (I’m 186cm) to find a comfortable position, even though the close-fitting bulkhead restricts backrest recline adjustment and the base cushion rake is fixed.

Small vans are the closest you’ll get to a car-like driving experience in light commercials and, given the Cargo’s unique turbo-diesel powertrain, it has unmatched torque output that provides energetic performance.

The shift calibrations of its seven-speed dual-clutch automatic ensure vigorous response in city and suburban driving, given that for most of the time they keep the engine operating between 1500-2500rpm, where its 320Nm of torque is served at full strength.

Combined with nicely weighted steering and four-coil suspension that provides an ideal balance of responsive handling and supple bump absorption, it’s an enjoyable and engaging vehicle to drive. The Sport drive mode and sequential manual-shifting options raise the fun level.

The gearing also ensures low-stressed highway driving with only 1600rpm required to maintain 110km/h, at which speeds the solid bulkhead minimises cargo bay noise that mostly emanates from the rear tyres. However, tyre noise can still be intrusive on certain grades of coarse bitumen.

To test its payload rating, we forklifted 650kg into the cargo bay through the rear barn-doors, which with driver equalled a total payload just shy of its 742kg payload limit. The rear suspension compressed almost 60mm under this weight, with long jounce rubbers positioned inside the rear coil springs providing additional load support and, in effect, a second stage of springing.

The Caddy took this heavy load haul in its stride on city and suburban roads, gliding over bumps without a hint of bottoming-out. The payload’s effect on engine, steering and braking performance was minimal and its handling composure was maintained regardless of speed or road conditions.

It also made light work of our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h, and although engine braking on the way down required some assistance from the quartet of disc brakes to keep speeds in check, they handled this task with ease.

Our only criticism of the driving experience is that, given the substantial blind-spot over the driver’s left shoulder caused by the cargo bay’s solid walls, a Cargo buyer must pay extra to get blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert as part of an options pack. We reckon these active features are crucial to safe van operation (any solid-walled van that is) and should be standard.

Unmatched by its small van rivals is a five-star ANCAP rating (tested 2021, expires 2027) which applies to all Cargo variants built from July 2022.

It’s equipped with seven airbags, AEB with pedestrian and cyclist monitoring, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, daytime running lights, non-adaptive cruise control, driver fatigue alert system and more, but you must pay extra for extra safety.

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.

The Caddy comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and 12 months roadside assist.

Scheduled servicing is every 15,000km or 12 months, whichever occurs first.

An optional five-year pre-paid service package is available for the price of a three-year package ($2000), so that’s two free services and savings of up to $1439 compared to pay-as-you-go capped-price servicing. In other words, an average annual servicing cost of $400.