First Drive: 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid 7

November 18, 2009

The net result, when compared to the 750Li, is a claimed average 2.0 L/100 km improvement in fuel economy (good for a 47g CO2 reduction in the ActiveHybrid’s official rating), with the hybrid bettering the 750Li’s EU urban test cycle numbers by 30%.

2010 BMW ActiveHybrid 7. Click image to enlarge

BMW realized a 2 per cent improvement in fuel consumption during their testing just by fitting the ActiveHybrid 7 with its special, lightweight directional alloy wheels and reduced rolling resistance tires. Since front and rear tire and wheel sizes are staggered – 245/45/19 on 8x19s front, 275/40/19 on 8.5x19s rear – each of the four wheels is corner-specific.

Even with all of this technology in place beneath the skin, it’s possible that without the idle-stop feature, an uninformed driver would be oblivious to the fact that this in fact is a hybrid.

The unique wheels (which can be optioned away), badging on the trunk lid and C-pillars, and one colour choice – “Bluewater Metallic”, seen on the vehicles pictured – that’s only available on the hybrids, are all that will tell the world that you’ve chosen a greener version of the luxurious 7 Series.

2010 BMW ActiveHybrid 7. Click image to enlarge

The cabin and its fittings are just as those in the new-this-year, non-hybrid 7, including an improved version of iDrive (much better, still not perfect), vastly simplified control stalks, and an audio system with a volume knob and honest-to-God preset buttons.

Only the hybrid-related readouts in the cool half LCD/half analog instrument cluster and the front infotainment screen betray this model’s status. The displays indicate system operation; regeneration, idle-stop, overall economy, electric drive input, etc., are shown below the tachometer; a more visual graphic representation can be shown on the main screen if desired.

Other than xDrive, virtually any other 7 Series option is available, from Night Vision with pedestrian detection to a rear seat infotainment system with individual seat-back mounted LCD screens and its own iDrive controllers. (And unlike the previous 7 Series, all functions, such as Nav, can be operated in the rear without interfering with the front system’s operation.)

Canadian buyers will only be offered this model in a long-wheelbase version, a model with a rear seat that is commodious enough that its seat-backs can recline and which even has its own floor-mounted footrests.

Happily, this car can still be driven like a smaller car, even if it weighs upwards of 2,100 kg – only about 75 kg of which can be directly attributed to the hybrid system. Outward visibility is excellent, and the chassis’ behaviour predictable and appropriate for an executive express that may or may not be chauffer driven. Steering assist is electric, but feels natural most of the time. High-speed stability, as noted before, is excellent and confidence inspiring.

That there’s no unique lighting or styling as in many other automaker’s hybrid models, is, I think, a mistake. Look at how well Toyota’s readily identifiable Prius sold, compared to the nearly invisible Honda Civic hybrid. Honda eventually produced the Prius-looking Insight in response; apparently, hybrids are often as much about “being green” as actually being green.

On the other hand, a less than 10 per cent price premium in this car’s segment isn’t all that significant (though not yet determined, expect a $5000-$10,000 hike over the $113,200 750Li that the ActiveHybrid 7 is based upon).

When you consider that the appreciable performance and efficiency gains enjoyed by this model come with virtually no trade-offs, it makes opting for the ActiveHybrid 7 something of a no-brainer.

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