2020 BMW 7-Series
Some automotive midcycle refreshes consist of nothing more than an exterior nip and tuck, while others are far more substantial. One glance at BMW's updated 7 Series sedan and it's clear this one falls in that latter category; its design changes are visible from outer space.
And if you look past the exterior changes, you'll find a host of other welcome improvements. With greater helpings of luxury and tech, not to mention some powertrain enhancements, the refreshed 7 Series is better equipped to battle the luxury world's best.The most obvious way to tell a 2020 7 Series from its predecessor? The huge grille. BMW says the 7's signature kidney grille is 40 percent larger than before, and it sort of reminds me of the Batmobile from the original Batman: The Animated Series cartoon. The grille is flanked by skinner headlight housings, and beneath it you'll find a new bumper with a bigger lower air dam. A redone hood sits 2 inches higher than before, adding to the front end's more in-your-face style.
From the side profile, the taller vents in the front quarter panels are the most prominent difference between the new and old 7 Series. Out back, the three-dimensional light housings are slimmer than before and are now connected by a tiny light strip, giving this sedan a slick nighttime prominence. A redesigned rear bumper boasts wider exhaust outlets that, along with the light treatments, try to add visual width to the car. As if it needed to look wider.
All of this visual biggening results in a car that's much more imposing on the road. BMW says customers in the US and China -- the 7 Series' two biggest markets -- asked for a more standout look, and this is the result. From the front, I have to say that effort succeeded because that big ol' grille is impossible to miss. Whether it's attractive or not is up to personal preference. I don't mind it; I think the oversized schnoz is nicely integrated with the rest of the design, even if it's a bit cartoony.
The 2020 7 Series' engine lineup remains broad, with a 3.0-liter turbocharged I6 making 335 horsepower in the base 740i, and a monstrous, turbocharged V12 with 600 horsepower at the top of the range in the M760i. While not as impressive as the 12-cylinder, the thoroughly reworked turbocharged V8 in the 750i xDrive is no slouch, with 523 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, the latter of which is available between 1,800-4,600 rpm. Compared with last year, the 750i packs an additional 78 horsepower and 78 pound-feet, helping get the all-wheel-drive luxury land yacht to 60 miles per hour in a BMW-estimated 3.9 seconds.
Put the 750i into Sport mode and there's little reason to doubt BMW's 60-mph acceleration claim. A muscular wave of power is available right from the jump and stays steady throughout the rev range. To the surprise of nobody, the venerable eight-speed, ZF-built automatic gearbox performs fast, fluid and well-timed gear changes.
A brief drive in the 745e xDrive let me experience the last substantially updated piece of the 7 Series family: a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The new drivetrain combo mates a slick 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine with an electric motor, and produces a net system output of 389 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. With a more powerful 12-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, BMW is promising better all-electric driving range than the puny 14 miles of the outgoing 740e.
My small sampling put the drivetrain's smooth electric power delivery on display; stop-and-go traffic never really required the gas engine to kick in. Hitting the throttle kick-down forces the engine to fire up in short order when max power is needed, before quickly and seamlessly shutting down when no longer required. Reviews editor Jake Holmes had a more in-depth look at this model earlier this year.
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