First Drive: 2023 BMW 760i xDrive

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While this V8-powered sedan isn’t the big story coming out of the release of the seventh generation BMW 7 Series model line-up — that would be the all-electric i7 version, a first in 7 Series history — for those not quite ready to jump into full electrification, the 2023 760i xDrive will not disappoint. Not by a long shot.

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One of two new 7 Series available in Canada, including the i7, the 760i is a rolling testament to BMW’s commitment to continue to improve upon a model that since 1977 has been the flagship sedan for the German automaker. It’s teeming with new technology, from Level 2 autonomous driving aids to the eighth generation of BMW’s iDrive operating system;  it’s loaded with luxury, from an all-new interior where designers were inspired by home furnishings to an optional 35-speaker Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system; and it’s packed with performance, including an all-new, electrified eight-speed transmission and a twin-turbo, 4.4-litre engine with a 48-volt hybrid boost.

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I recently spent a few hours driving the 760i xDrive from Palm Springs through Joshua Tree National Park and back and had an opportunity to try out most of what is new on the model. That starts by simply pushing the driver’s door button, which will, if you wait a second or two, automatically open the door. This is an option on all four doors, and I never really did get used to it. Perhaps I was just anxious to get in and drive, but I found myself thinking, after I pressed the button, that the system wasn’t working so would just grab the handle and pull the door open. You know, the old school way.

Once in the driver’s seat, I loved what I saw. The new interior design really elevates the luxury, executive sedan class, starting with the dual display screens housed behind a single glass surface curved towards the driver. The 12.3-inch display directly in front of the driver is programmable to show all kinds of driver information, including an all-new augmented view, while the 14.9-inch control display to the right of the driver’s view features a scrolling menu containing climate, navigation, media, car settings and the unique Qlocktwo, a timepiece that displays the time in words, not numbers. What became readily apparent is that BMW designers are pushing voice recognition over switches and buttons, even those of the digital kind. Why do I say that? The functionality of using the settings in those digital menus — and subsequent sub menus — is far from easy and seamless. It’s a bit of a pain to find what you are looking for. However, say “Hey BMW, close the rear blind’ and the rear blind closes. Same with all climate functions — ‘Hey BMW, turn up driver’s seat heat’ — and pretty much everything else you can find in those menus. Call it the continued ‘Siri-fication’ of the automotive industry.

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One bit of new tech that worked like a charm was the Level 2 autonomous driving functions. I engaged it for about 15 kilometres on Highway 10 heading back to Palm Springs, with three to four lanes and moderate traffic. The system worked very well, including lane changes that were activated by putting on the turn signal and required no steering wheel input from me. However it took a little getting used to the somewhat aggressive nature of the lane change. By no means reckless or dangerous; just not as smooth as I would do it myself. What was smooth was how the vehicle would slow down when a slower moving vehicle was in front in the same lane. It would then keep a pre-set distance and only accelerate to the speed I had programmed in initially when the lane was cleared. According to BMW, all new 7 Series are equipped with the sensors, software stack and computing platform to accommodate Level 3 functions when available and allowed.

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But let’s face it, when you get in a vehicle with that propeller-inspired blue and white BMW roundel on its nose, you want to drive. The new 760i will certainly accommodate, and fulfill, that desire.

With 544 horsepower underfoot, vented disc brakes (single-piston floating calipers up front and four-piston fixed calipers in the rear), and adaptive air suspension with automatic self-levelling and electronically controlled dampers, you’d swear you were in a 5 Series or even a 3 Series when you push this big sedan a little. The weight ratio does skew more to the front end, giving it a bit of understeer, but all those onboard computer-aided driving aids really do a remarkable job of making this vehicle feel much smaller than it really is. And that new eight-speed transmission is silky smooth, but the shifts will bark at you when you put it in manumatic and use the paddle shifters (if you like that kind of thing).

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The ethos of the 7 Series since its debut 46 years ago was a melding of top-notch performance with elegant and refined motoring. This seventh-generation nails that balance with very little compromise. That comfort quotient is nowhere more evident than when you sit in the rear seat behind the passenger seat, and select Theatre Mode and Seat Recline on the smartphone-like control panel on door armrest. Before you know it, you are sitting fully stretched out with your feet up and your head on a pillow headrest, and watching a movie on an 8K screen filling up most of the rear seat area. The only issue will be how do you decide which of your two kids get that seat. Then again, if one of them has their driver’s licence, maybe it’s time for a little me time back there.

What will be fascinating to see is how many new 7 Series buyers in Canada will opt for the gas-powered 760i and how many will go all-electric with the i7. They each have 544 horsepower, apart from the powertrain are nearly identical and have the same $147,000 starting price. The 2023 BMW 7 Series is arriving in Canadian dealerships this month.