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A handsome fleet of BMW cars lines the cobblestone street outside a 16th-century Renaissance castle situated some 40 minutes south of the Polish city of Wroclaw. The castle, now known as Uroczysko Siedmiu Stawow Luxury Hotel, is our first pit stop in the BMW CSEU Grand Media Tour through Central Europe, which began in Warsaw.
Over 23 days, 140 journalists from around the world will drive the all-new BMW X7 and the 7 Series across seven countries, covering 4,894km of ground and concluding in Greece. Our two-man contingent from Singapore will journey some 846km across the border to the Czech Republic, with its capital Prague as our eventual destination in this first leg.
Following a scenic drive through the Polish countryside in the X7, we arrive at one of Poland’s oldest and largest Renaissance castles, for our bucolic respite for the night. Its charming courtyards and terraces encircled in picturesque surrounds were restored to their former glory as recently six years ago, and the hotel now even boasts the first model Spa by L'Occitane in the country, in collaboration with the renowned French beauty brand.
The next morning, a sea of mostly gray vehicles awaits — save for one red sedan, and, of course, it has to be the only higher-powered M Performance 7 Series model in our convoy. We slide into a 750d in Bernina Grey and the moment our forms sink into the napa leather upholstery with extended quilted padding, it’s clear BMW’s flagship luxury-class limousine has gone even more posh. The textured surface of the quilting, in mocha or cognac, is quite the embellishment of elegance on this plush ride.
The extensive facelift on this sixth-generation 7 Series, which comes four years after the last revamp, begins with greater presence and prominence. With its long wheelbase, short overhang and flowing roofline, the fine-looking machine cuts a sophisticated silhouette.
There are two models to the new 7 Series: the standard version and a longer model, which adds another 14cm to the luxury sedan, giving rear-seat passengers extra corresponding legroom. Both are 22mm longer than their predecessors.
The front end has also been boosted 50mm at its foremost point, with the enhanced verticality projecting an added sense of prestige and status. As does the new single-piece kidney grille that’s about 40 percent larger, topped with an upsized BMW badge on the bonnet that has expanded from 82mm to 95mm.
Both the headlights and tail-lights, meanwhile, have been slimmed down, their more precise lines creating a striking optical effect particularly on the adaptive LED headlights (BMW Laserlight optional) where blue elements inside the hexagonal light design make an arresting visual statement. On the rear, a new ultra slim light strip just below the chrome bar lends another stylistic accent and, together with the L-shaped tail-lights, they create a distinctive design when darkness falls.
Depending on the model variant, the new 7 Series comes with 17- or 18-inch light-alloy wheels, with up to 21-inch formats optional.
We depart Wroclaw for Prague and soon find ourselves on the 100 Turns Road — literally 100 twists and turns through the Stołowe Mountains National in southwestern Poland, on the border of the Czech Republic. The 7 grips the snaking topography beautifully, taking on the bends with remarkable stability and agility for a luxury sedan.
The impressive road handling comes from the intelligent BMW xDrive all-wheel-drive system, which is networked with the Dynamic Stability Control system that employs an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch to swiftly and precisely distribute the drive torque between the front and rear wheels in a fully variable ratio as the situation demands, delivering superb traction even in extremely dynamic driving situations or in adverse road and weather conditions.
As we zigzag through the mountainous region sandwiched by thick forests ascending over canopies of fog, the Executive Drive Pro chassis system (optional) with active roll stabilization also comes into play, delivering greater compensation of body roll through keenly taken corners. Electric swivel motors ensure fast and precise compensation of the lateral forces generated in dynamically taken corners, enhancing the car’s agility and directional stability both on the way into and out of corners, while increasing comfort, stability and maneuverability when driving on straight roads and in city streets too, of course.
Driving across the Polish border to Prague in a machine fitted with the very latest BMW TwinPower Turbo technology is a treat in and of itself, as is the beautiful acoustics from the premium Bowers & Wilkins 3D Surround Sound system (optional) accompanying our road trip. All variants of the 7 Series are equipped with either six-, eight- or twelve-cylinder engines with optimized thermodynamics and now-improved eight-speed Steptronic transmission.
Our current 750d xDrive is giving us 760Nm of torque via a six-cylinder diesel engine. It takes just 4.7 seconds to make the century sprint, with a top speed of 250kmh.
While this variant won’t be available in Singapore, the 740Li that will comes close with its six-cylinder petrol engine delivering 340hp of power at 5,500–6,500rpm and 450Nm of torque at 1,500–5,200rpm. It has the same top speed, but goes from zero to 100kmh in 5.6 seconds.
Inside the cabin, there are two 10-inch full-HD displays complete with a Blu-ray player providing rear-seat entertainment, now with touchscreen functionality. Helping to keep outside noise at bay are side windows composed of laminated glass (now 5.1mm thicker) aided by extra insulation around the rear wheel arches.
And the wireless charging tray (previously situated under the centre console armrest) is now positioned immediately in front of the cupholders, making it more accessible and convenient for the driver.
As far as in-car digital assistants go, BMW’s Intelligent Personal Assistant is not only the perfect co-driver, but also one designed with executives in mind. And after a punishing day at work, the Caring Car function, composed of three-minute vitality and relaxation programs, can attend to the driver’s sense of well-being via an orchestrated combination of various functions such as the air conditioning, seat massage, fragrances or music, to refresh or relax the driver while at the wheel.
There are also three different Experience Modes — Executive, Expressive and Wellbeing — that activate the above and more functions, such as lighting and seat ventilation, depending on your needs of the moment. Just say, “Hey BMW, I’m tired” or “Hey BMW, activate Executive mode” to start the specific program, which can run for as long as desired.
What’s also unique about BMW’s digital assistant is that you can name it anything you like, for example, “Joe.” Joe, your co-driver, or semi autonomous chauffeur if you like, is trained to learn the driver’s routines, habits and preferences, and will subsequently apply them in the appropriate context. “Hey Joe, take me home,” for example, will take you to your doorstep.
Like Apple’s Siri, Joe can even respond to prompts and engage in casual conversation, and his intelligence grows with every command given, every question asked and every setting made.
The driving assistance extends to an extensive suite of programs designed to ease the driver’s load in monotonous driving conditions such as traffic jams and heavy flowing traffic, as well as stay safe and in control in awkward traffic situations. There’s the Lane Departure/Change Warning systems, Rear Collision Prevention and Cross Traffic Alert. And now, the Parking Assistant Plus in the new-generation 7 Series has been upgraded with the Reversing Assistant.
Further cementing BMW’s position at the forefront of autonomous driving, it’s the only feature of its kind in this segment where, when activated, the program memorizes the last 50m of forward travel and has the ability to reverse the car out the same way it was driven in — a handy feature when you need to back out of a tight spot and there isn’t enough room to perform a three-point turn.
As we meander through smaller townships, the narrow cobblestone streets prove no bother to this generously proportioned but genteel sedan. It was a smooth ride all the way thanks to the active roll stabilization that counteracts the disruptive forces of the uneven road surfaces.
And even as we encountered construction works and obstructions on the highway towards Prague, I was glad for the 7 Series’ easy handling and care for our well-being. I can’t think of a more comfortable — and far less frustrating — ride to be stuck in traffic in.
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