The current-gen BMW 7-Series has reached the middle of its life cycle, which only means one thing — big updates, both inside and out. Indeed, the 7 Series gets a facelift, an upgraded interior, new equipment and new engines for the 2013 model year.
On the outside, BMW‘s flagship sedan gets a revised front fascia that incorporates new LED headlights with corona rings; a kidney grille with nine slats, instead of 12; and a revised front bumper. It also gets new side mirror indicators and a redesign rear bumper with chrome strips and reflectors.
The upgraded interior gets redesigned leather seats, a new 10.25 inch display with high-resolution 3D graphics that allows the driver to choose among four different modes, additional soundproofing and an optional Rear Seat Entertainment package featuring a Bang & Olufsen Surround Sound System and a new 9.2-inch flat-screen monitor.
The engine lineup will now includes a new 3.0-liter tri-turbocharged inline-six diesel — found in the BMW 750d xDrive — that produces 375-hp (381 PS) and 546 lb-ft (740 Nm) of torque, allowing the large sedan to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in only 4.9 seconds, while delivering a fuel economy rating of 6.4L/100km (around 44 mpg UK or 36.8 mpg US) in the EU test cycle.
The BMW ActiveHybrid 7 gets the German automaker’s second-generation hybrid system, which now uses the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine, instead of the old model’s 408-hp 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 (465-hp with the electric motor). The system produces a combined 349-hp (354 PS) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque, allowing for a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) run of 5.7 seconds and an average fuel economy rating of 6.8lt/100km (41.5 mpg UK or 34.6mpg US). It also allows the sedan to travel up to four kilometers (around 2.5 miles) on battery power alone, although at a maximum speed of 37 mph (60 km/h).
In North America, sales of the refreshed, gasoline-powered BMW 740i/Li, 750i/Li and 760i/Li, as well as of the ActiveHybrid7, begin in the summer of 2012.
