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Yes, you would buy a
BMW 730d on economy and emissions alone. You would feel good about
doing your bit for the environment. Less fuel burned means less
pollution. And with BMW claiming 7.2 litres/100 km, running costs are
significantly less than the petrol burner. And it's more than $4000
cheaper than the evenly specced 740i petrol variant, which makes it
unusual as diesels tend to cost more up front. But these are not the
only reasons you would buy this oil burner ahead of the petrol
siblings.
In the past the
trade-off with diesel powered cars has been performance. No such
compromise here. The 3.0 litre twin turbo diesel is simply a cracker.
Marginally slower to 100 km/h than the 740i, but we are talking a
couple of tenths of a second. The diesel lights up easily and cracks
100 km/h in just 7.2 seconds. On performance alone, this engine
stacks up a solid argument.
Given this is not a
sports machine in the true sense, but Bimmer's luxury large marque,
acceleration is quite acceptable. Indeed quicker than many two doors
that are called `sports' cars. Rivals include Audi' R8 3.0 TDI and
Mercedes-Benz S320 CDI. Australian luxury car buyers have been
quicker on the diesel uptake than those in cheaper segments. One
reason for this is, at this stage of development, diesel engines are
better suited to larger cars. This is one reason four wheel drives
such as Nissan's Patrol and Toyota's LandCruiser have flaunted diesel
engines for decades. It's also why small and light cars are better
suited to small petrol engines.
Also forget about
the much talked about diesel `rattle.' Apart from at idle with the
car's windows down, there's little to distinguish the 730d from a
petrol-powered sibling. And whether cruising or under heavy
acceleration it's only the low rev ceiling on the tachometer to
indicate this is an oil burner. It's interesting to analyze
why the well-heeled have taken o to diesel powered cars. BMW, for
instance, currently sells a third of its vehicles with a diesel under
the bonnet. Yes, we know that many of these are the SUVs. Now, to
make all that moulah to afford a Bimmer means these are usually busy
people. One way to save time is cut back on time spent in the servo
refuelling. In a typical example a 740i would fill up once a week or
four times a month while the 730d covering similar kilometres would
fill up three times or possibly two. The mathematics is simple –
you go a third of the distance extra in a diesel before needing to
refuel.
Based on BMW
figures, which we confirmed in our road test, you would get at least
1100 kilometres from a tank. The 740i would be looking for a refuel
at about 820 km.
COMFORT
Inside the cabin
it's business as usual. Seats that hug but not squeeze you, a
traditional BMW layout with stitched leather here and there including
across the dashboard, an easier to use iDrive system, and power
everything. The rear seat also bristles with comfort and space for
three adults. Standard across the 7-Series range is the soft close
door system. No need to slam doors here.
SAFETY
Technology abounds.
We like the head-up display that allows you to keep your eyes on the
road while at the same time delivers information such as current
speed and in the near future it will read
speed signs to tell you what the speed limits are by reading local
signage. There's also high beam assist which adjusts head lights as
needed when driving at night. Safety options include lane departure
warning system, night vision, side view cameras, lane change warning
system. The 730d has six airbags, but surprisingly no rear side
airbags.
ON
ROAD
The
7-Series is a large car and surpises with it's agility on all but the
tightest of turns. On our test road it turned in nicely on most
twists and turns, but you still have the feeling that it is a large
car that is designed for straight autobahns as opposed to Australia's
second-rate roads. It's no M3 when it comes to handling, but it's not
supposed to be. We did not like some aspects of the car's steering,
particularly around town when it's self-centring after cornering is
tardy making city driving harder work than it should be. If your
7-Series has a chaffeur then simply ignore the last comment. The
suspension has four settings: Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport +
which handle most conditions fairly well. Certainly body roll is kept
in check in the Sport modes.
There's
no doubt if buyers are looking at large luxury sedans then the
7-Series is a must-drive before decision time. On top of that the
730d is also a must-drive if you are looking to start with at petrol-
powered vehicles, should you dismiss diesel without even driving one.
Drivers looking for performance and economy will not be disappointed.
MODEL
RANGE
BMW
7-Series
730d
3.0 Litre $198,800
740i
3.0 Litre $203,000
740Li
3.0 Litre $218,000
750i
4.4 Litre $274,200
750Li
4.4 Litre $292,200
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: standard
Air Conditioning:
standard
Automatic
Transmission: standard
CD Player: standard
Central Locking:
standard
Cruise Control:
standard
Dual Front Airbags:
standard
Front Side Airbags:
standard
Stability Control:
standard
Traction
Control: standard
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE:
Capacity: 3.0
litres
Configuration:
straight six twin turbo
Head Design: 24
valve
Compression Ratio:
16.5:1
Bore/Stroke: 90.0 mm
x 84.0 mm
Maximum Power: 180
kW @ 4000 rpm
Maximum Torque: 540
Nm @ 1750 – 3000 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven
Wheels: rear
Manual Transmission:
N/A
Automatic
Transmission: 6 spd auto
Final Drive Ratio:
2.81
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT
AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 5072 mm
Wheelbase: 3070 mm
Width: 1902 mm
Height: 1479 mm
Turning Circle: 12.2
metres
Kerb Mass: 1865 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity:
80 litres
Towing Ability: 750
kg (kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND
BRAKES:
Front Suspension:
Double track control arm
Rear Suspension:
Multi arm
Front Brakes:
ventilated disc
Rear Brakes:
ventilated disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h
Acceleration: 7.2 seconds
FUEL
CONSUMPTION:
Type:
diesel
Combined Cycle (ADR
81/01): 7.2 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE
RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating:
6.5 /10
Air Pollution
Rating: 5.0 /10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
3
years/ unlimited km |
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