Preliminary Review of the 2016 BMW 7-Series

 
The New 2016 BMW 7-Series was unveiled recently. As I am yet to see the car in the flesh, I will be relying on the official videos. On the exterior, its strong and definitive beltline give it a defined stance which in turn makes the whole vehicle look athletic. This is a good thing because compared to its archrival, the Mercedes S Class which (in its current generation) is bland, the exterior of the new 7-Series has got character.

It has a few tricks too. It can park itself by driving into and reverse out of a garage or parking space. This is done with the aid of its key; a display key (a slightly larger key fob with a colour touchscreen display).

 

Display Key

However, I suspect that this feature is gimmicky or half-baked at best. If you watch the official demo videos at the bottom of the page, you’ll observe that the car can only drive itself in a straight-line into the garage or reverse out of it. From this, I am inclined to assume that it cannot execute more complicated parking maneuvers. This is a bit of a shame because most mid-size and full-size luxury cars can do just that; albeit with the driver still in the car to control braking and acceleration. The second problem is that the screen of the display key is too small to be of any real use. This function would be better executed via the BMW Connected Drive app on a smartphone. The larger screens on smartphones would afford the driver a much clearer view of what the cameras are seeing. From all indications, the Display Key doesn't show this.

Interior

One of the main features of the interior is the gesture control system that is part of the new iDrive interface, now at version 5.  Thankfully, the infotainment screen is now a touch screen. The knob driven interfaces of BMW, Mercedes and Audi have always been a step in the wrong direction. However, the screen is a bit too far back. Using it will involve leaning forward. 

I find the gesture control system is mostly a gimmick. One of my cardinal rules of interface design (excluding games) is to allow for the quickest way to accomplish any task. With the new gesture system, the driver can choose to answer a call by pointing at the centre of the dashboard and can also reject the call (and presumably hang up) by waving a hand from left to right. The audio system’s volume can also be controlling in a similar fashion by using a finger to continuously draw a circle in a clockwise direction to increase the volume or in an anticlockwise direction to reduce it. These gestures are detected by a sensor mounted above in the headliner just before the rear view mirror. My objection is that it is much quicker and easier to control the audio volume as well as phone calls via steering wheel mounted controls. With this system, BMW is asking us to take one hand off the steering wheel (which already has volume buttons and phone call buttons) and move it to the front of the dashboard to wave and point. This is pointless. It also means you hand will be off the steering wheel for much longer. This gesture system would have had some limited utility for the rear passengers but alas, there is no sensor at the rear. 

Illustration of Phone Call Gestures

 

All four gestures

A tablet computer is what the rear passengers will use to adjust a myriad of settings ranging from climate control to seat positioning; a tablet that I suspect is made by Samsung. The tablet is nestled in a tray at the fore of the centre armrest. It can be taken out from this tray to be used like any other tablet. However, there is just one tablet between the two rear passengers. There are imaginable scenarios where both passengers would want to adjust different settings at the same time. This would remind you of a time when you had to fight for the TV remote at home. Such a memory and scenario is not befitting of a luxury car. 

Tablet in cradle / tray

Some tablet functions

The rear seat directly behind the front passenger’s seat can also recline. It also has a footrest. However, the footrest unfolds from the seatback of the front passenger’s seat and renders the front passenger seat unusable. This arrangement is similar to what obtains in the current generation Mercedes S Class. I think it’s a pointless setup. At best, it is a misinterpretation of the meaning of luxury. Luxury vehicles, especially full-size luxury vehicles must always provide luxury with no compromises. Rendering the front passenger seat useless when using the foot rest is a compromise. And frankly, it is the latest example of a disturbing trend of function following form.

Foot rest: this guy won't be comfortable for long.

 

The design of the steering wheel looks too sporty. This design would be better suited for the M Sports package or for those who want a sports steering wheel. That said it certainly is a better job than the   Sports steering wheel option available for the 6-Series Gran Coupe. But then again, it has always irked me that some motorists would want a full-size luxury sedan with sport options. The second problem with the steering wheel is the wood trim; more specifically, its location/placement. Traditionally, wood trimmed steering wheels have the wood wrapping around the steering between the 10 and 2 position as well as either the 5 to 7 portions or the 4 to 5 and 7 to 8. With the new 7-series, the wood is placed on the inside rim only and not actually wrapping around  that section of the wheel. To me, the point of a wood-trimmed steering wheel other than aesthetics, is the way it feels on the palms. With this new design, there is much less wood to touch. Your palms certainly wouldn’t be touching any at the top portion; only your fingers will.  This shouldn’t be the case with a luxury vehicle or in this case, a flagship. But then again, I should point out that BMW is not in the habit of wrapping the wood around the steering. So maybe it is just their schtick.

The New Steering wheel of the 7-Series

M Sports Steering Wheel of the 6-Series Gran Coupe: doesn’t belong in a luxury sedan coupe

Some other notable features include a wireless charging pocket / sleeve in the armrests between the driver and front passenger. I like its location. However, whether or not its adjustable to fit different phone sizes remains to be seen.

The rear moon roof also has some LEDs embedded in it to create some light patterns. There is also a built-in air freshener with eight fragrances to choose from.

You might have observed that I made no mention of the available engines or transmission. That’s because these cars are well provisioned with ample powertrains. And I belong to the school of thought that firmly believe that large sedans should be about relaxed, civilized and comfortable driving and not insane power and sporty driving. If you want to drive that way, get a proper sports car. I should point out that there will be a plug-in hybrid labeled as the 740Le.

On the whole, I love the design. So the most important question: will I choose it over the current generation (W222) Mercedes Benz S Class? Probably.