Test drive BMW 740Le xDrive: the sound of silence

The plug-in hybrid version of the 7 Series gives an interesting take on the flagship philosophy

The "Seven" BMW belongs to a purely elite layer of the automotive industry, where superlatives are not a phenomenon, but an obligatory part of the repertoire of each of its representatives.

Currently, the 7 Series is not only the flagship in the line of elite models of the brand from Munich, but also one of the most comfortable and high-tech production cars on the planet as a whole. If you're looking for even more luxury and individuality, all you have to do is focus on Rolls-Royce and Bentley.

While this may sound a bit retrograde to some, in the mind of the author of this article, the idea of ​​an ideal transmission for a car with the capabilities of a BMW 7 Series is more synonymous with the splendid manners of a powerful unit with at least six cylinders.

And not necessarily with a combination of a four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric drive. To be honest, maybe that's why the plug-in hybrid version of the "seven" surprised more than expected, and in a definitely positive sense.

Efficiency and harmony

The well-known two-liter four-cylinder petrol engine with a capacity of 258 hp. is combined with an electric motor integrated in the eight-speed automatic transmission, which is powered by a battery at the rear of the vehicle.

In theory, the capacity of the battery should be enough to drive 45 kilometers on electricity, in real conditions the car reaches an electric mileage of about 30 km, which is also quite a decent achievement.

Fears that the acoustics of a relatively small engine will not match the refined character of this four-wheeled aristocrat are unfounded - the characteristic timbre of the four-cylinder engine is felt only at full throttle, in all other situations the 740Le xDrive remains surprisingly quiet in the cabin.

Moreover, due to the fact that when driving without traction, the gasoline unit is turned off at any convenient moment, in terms of acoustic comfort, the hybrid version actually becomes the record holder in the entire line of "sevens".

Equally remarkable is how BMW engineers have achieved a completely natural brake pedal feel, as the ability to feel the transition from electric to mechanical braking is virtually nil.

If you drive in an urban environment with a fully charged battery on first start, you are more likely to achieve near-factory fuel consumption. With a longer mixed driving cycle, the average consumption is about 9 liters per hundred kilometers.

Silence and bliss

However, the impression that this car gives during the trip is much more important. It's important to note that the 740e iPerformance was not meant to be some sort of compromise model in which environmental performance comes at the expense of classic luxury - quite the contrary.

The car can be ordered with all-wheel drive, in a wheelbase version, as well as with all possible options for the “seven”, including autonomous seats with a massage function on the second row. Even if you are not a fan of this type of car, you can hardly remain indifferent to the incredible sense of calm and bliss that the BMW 740Le xDrive iPerformance creates - as already mentioned, the only thing that is heard on board is complete silence and ambient lighting.

And the exceptional quality of materials and workmanship creates an incredibly noble atmosphere. The combination of ultra-comfortable seating and air suspension with an adaptive control system that absorbs almost any bumps in the road must be felt live to be fully understood.