If it costs nearly a crore of rupees, does it really matter if the car you drive is powered by a petrol or diesel engine? The common perception is that someone who can afford that kind of money for a set of wheels to get between point A and B, really couldn’t care less. But the reality is different which is why every luxury car manufacturer sells far more diesels than petrols and that’s why, as soon as they could get their hands on right hand drive variants, BMW have launched the 7 series with a diesel engine. The car gets the same acclaimed diesel from the 530d and, if that’s anything to go by, BMW have yet another winner on their hands.
STYLE & DESIGN
Expect nothing new or different from the petrol sibling since the cars are spec-ed identically. Which means you get the same understated and subtly elegant styling with charecteristic BMW cues like the corona-ring headlamps topped by eyebrows and uniquely detailed tailamps. The L in the badge denotes ‘long wheelbase’ and accordingly this frees up enormous room inside the cabin, ample enough to fit in seven-foot occupants in all the seats, together. The seats are also pretty comfortable both front and rear and the controls to adjust the seats are much better that in the older car. However the driver’s seat is no longer the focus area, unlike in the last generation 7 Series. The dashboard adopts a more minimalistic layout with the less frequently used controls hidden away in the iDrive. This however is second generation iDrive that is far, far easier and intutive to use. There is also a controller at the rear and passengers get their own screens with separate controls.
Our test car also came with night vision that projects an infrared image on the central screen allowing you to spot obstacles before the headlamps pick it up. It also has heads-up display that project a digital speed readout in the drivers line of sight.
ENGINE & TRANSMISSION
Some of the best engines in the world are BMW’s straight six mills, in both petrol and diesel form. And the engine that the 730LD is endowed with is nothing short of scintillating. That’s because this engine, the N57D30, is the successor to the massively impressive M57 family of diesel engines. The M57 was the International Engine of the Year in the 2.5- to 3.0-litre category from 1999 to 2002. Then its downgraded version won the same category in 2005 and 2006. With such impressive DNA, the latest N57D30 powering the 730D is a progressive step. That’s because its core ability is to maximise efficiency without compromising performance.
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