PALACE ON WHEELS

At Rs 74 lakh, it’s not easy to gloss over its unaffordability, but if you do acquire the BMW 730 Ld, you’ll never want to step out of it. The tech-savvy diesel behemoth will bowl you over with its looks, performance—and mileage

Unlike the Mercedes Benz, the BMW doesn’t have much of a fan following in India. Or so many would have you believe. But talk to a car enthusiast and he will differ. Mercedes Benz is undoubtedly one of the finest luxury cars in the world, but when it comes to driver-centric cars, it’s difficult to outdo the “ultimate driving machine”.

BMW’s first completely built unit (CBU) for India is the flagship 7 Series, in this case the 730 Ld (long wheelbase diesel), which is now available in the country. Despite critics slamming R&D chief Chris Bangle’s reinvented design for the 7 Series, it has been a big seller worldwide. Indians are not lagging behind, with many checking out the BMW showrooms and not hesitating to provide a home to the Beemer. Surprisingly, even the rich are opting for the diesel variant due to its better fuel consumption.

EXTERIOR
The controversial styling of the 7 Series has been softened since its global launch in 2006. A wider, deeper kidney grill gives it an imposing look, and reprofiled bumpers with chrome inserts do not reflect in the sunlight. These ensure that the leviathan doesn’t look flashy, just understated, if that’s possible with a BMW. The body is a couple of inches longer so that those over 6-ft -tall can easily stretch. Despite being a super-luxury saloon, the 730 Ld lacks the premium snooty look of the new Merc S-Class. It appears more like a big, mean machine ready to bully any car which dares to cross its path, which works as the urban traffic is chaotic and the Beemer needs all the space it can get. It comes with huge 19-inch wheels and the rear has a typical muscular look which won’t win any beauty contests but will definitely make people stop and admire.

INTERIORS

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Enter the car and you’ll wonder if it’s a space station, given the extraordinary number of buttons and dials on the dashboard. After playing with buttons for various seating positions, you begin to believe you are in a lounge with loads of gadgets. Both front and rear seats have three memory modes and once set, it remembers the position you like. There are two dials on the central console in front and another at the back for mouse-like control of the iDrive, the computer that drives the car. The 8.8-inch iDrive colour display screen functions as a sophisticated control centre for multi-functionality and on-road entertainment (movies, TV, radio, music) options. It also tells you when to service the car and which part to replace. A parallel pop-up screen is at the back. It can be intimidating to begin with, but once you get used to it, you can operate the on-board computer with your eyes closed. Bluetooth facilitates mobile phone use without endangering the driver.

Parking the Beemer is easy as it comes with sensors which display on the iDrive screen the distance between the car and any objects in the way. The headlights come with Xenon lamps which are standard and the intensity of the light changes depending on visibility conditions. Safety features include twin front, head and side airbags and anti-brake locking system.

ENGINE/POWERTRAIN

The 730 Ld is powered by an extralight aluminum three-litre, six-cylinder diesel engine—weighing 20 kg lesser than the earlier model—and churns out 234 bhp. It has a six-speed automatic transmission. The ratios of this gearbox ensure high performance at low and high revs. The 730 Ld zooms to 100 kmph in 8.5 seconds, which is quicker than most of its rivals. It not only proves that size is everything but has increased its efficiency with the new Piezo injectors and a turbocharger fitted in the engine. The injectors have reduced emissions and the engine noise. The six-speed steptronic device provides the choice to drive in manual, standard or sport mode. In manual mode, gears can be selected by shift buttons placed on the steering wheel—like in Formula 1.

FUEL ECONOMY

The 7-Series is never bought for its fuel average. Surprisingly, its fuel economy is better than that of the smaller, lighter Honda CR-V. In city, it returns 8.5 kmpl and on the highway, 13 kmpl. It also has a huge 88-litre fuel tank.

LAST WORD<

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It provides the ultimate driving experience. If you can afford Rs 74 lakh (ex-showroom price), it’s worth every rupee. A word of caution. In case of mechanical failure, the car can only be repaired at a BMW service station. Another thing: be prepared to be ogled at. Apart from these, it’s a piece of driving heaven.