Seventh Heaven: Experiencing the BMW 7-Series (G70) as a driver and passenger

Full-sized luxury sedans are often associated with the rich and powerful. Large, menacing luxury barges that exude an air of power as you see them on the road. Spacious second rows full of lush materials, where industry titans and moguls seal deals and contracts. A ride so quiet and comfortable that champagne won’t be spilled even in the corners.

An experience that is sadly out of reach for the majority of us. But thanks to BMW Philippines, they gave a handful of journalists the chance to experience the sweet life of what it’s like to kick back and relax with both its 7-Series and X7 flagship SUVs.

Well, that’s what you would think, as most of us would be divided into groups of three, and that one person would have to end up as the unlucky chauffeur for that stint. Kicking off at RSA Motors Greenhills, my group was assigned the 735i, the petrol-powered variant of the 7-Series.

Priced at Php 8,990,000 (currently on discount for minus Php 1,000,000), this may seem like the entry-level variant with “just” a 3.0-liter straight-six with 286 horsepower and 425 Nm of torque going to the rear wheels and a slightly less complete feature set, but it’s very much every bit a luxury sedan.

I ended up as the chauffeur as EIC Julian Panlilio of AutoPH and Billy Caluag of TopGear Philippines ran to the much-coveted rear seats. This would be an interesting and slightly intimidating experience navigating out of Metro Manila during rush hour.

Unsurprisingly, you can feel the heft of the 735i, considering the size of this sedan and what it packs inside. The straight six pulls decently, but you can feel the heft, especially with steering and throttle inputs. It’s almost as if it’s done intentionally for the driver to minimize sudden jerky movements so as not to upset the passengers at the rear.

Navigating through the tightly-packed roads of EDSA was a challenge as the sheer size of the sedan made it nerve-wracking as motorcycles bobbed and weaved around. As soon as the roads opened up in NLEX, this car’s chauffeur-oriented driving style became more apparent. 

Any road imperfections did very little to upset the cloud-like ride thanks to the air suspension, and the brakes are very, very smooth. The car builds speed with ease, and putting it in Sport mode loosens up the vehicle’s very stiff nature with a slightly more lively throttle response, heavier steering, and stiffer suspension damping.

However, you won’t feel short-changed should you find yourself behind the wheel of one. The front driver’s seat is very comfortable with a myriad of adjustments, allowing you to drive very long stints without a hint of fatigue.

Two screens are available to you: a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display and a 14.9-inch widescreen infotainment screen. It runs Operating System 8.5, giving you access to a complete tech suite with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Crystal elements across the BMW Interaction Bar, open-pore wood, Veganza leather (for the 735i), spice things up further, and a crisp Bowers and Wilkins audio system are there to keep you entertained, whether you find yourself as a driver or passenger.

Thankfully, for the second leg of the journey, it was my turn to be in the rear seats in the all-electric i7 xDrive60. This goes for a princely Php 10,390,000 (less Php 1,400,000 at the moment) 

You can tell it apart from the 735i, with the crystal lighting elements in the headlights, the illuminated kidney grille, automatic opening doors, 21-inch wheels, and the obvious blue-rimmed BMW badges.

Inside, it gets finer Merino leather upholstery and more functionality for the rear seats. The front part of the cabin gets a few more crystal elements, massaging front seats, and a heads-up display.

Immediately after finding my ideal sitting position in the rear seats and enabling the whole back massage via the door card-mounted five-inch display, it’s easy to see why people desire vehicles like these.

You’re cosseted by the finest interior upholstery with a subtle but refreshing back massage. You kick back and relax as you stretch your legs, rest your head on an incredibly soft neck pillow, and can either choose to shut out the world or open up everything with the touch of a button.

All of this is done with an incredibly quiet and cloud-like ride, something that the electric variant does a lot better due to the absence of an internal combustion engine. Either relax in silence as the cabin shuts out nearly everything with near-opaque sunshades, or enjoy your tunes from the amazing sound system with the massive panoramic glass roof open.

Compared to its gas-fed sibling, the i7 trades explosions under the hood for two electric motors, granting it all-wheel drive and 544 horsepower and 750 Nm of torque. All of which is delivered suddenly and to the tune of Hans Zimmer-composed BMW IconicSounds.

According to my carmates who managed to drive the vehicle, the i7 was lighter on its feet, both with the instant power delivery and the boosted steering, which managed to mask the heft of the vehicle with ease, all while retaining the fun-to-drive dynamics of BMW. Additional driver assistance systems, such as adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree camera with augmented reality assistance, also made the journey much less tiring for the drivers.

The 101.7 kWh battery should give at least 625km of range on a full charge, but realistically, after departing Pampanga Premier Cars BMW and arriving at Anvaya Cove in Bataan, we were down to 73% of charge and an estimated 396km on our range figure. At least, charging is done via the ubiquitous CCS and Type-2 port.

It was an unusual and unforgettable experience to chauffeur and be chauffeured in cars that would probably put me and the next few generations into debt, but now I completely understand the logic behind these full-size luxury sedans that the rich and powerful so desire.

Photos by Sam Surla and Julian Panlilio