The new BMW 7 series will be on sale in Ireland from the 22nd of September. Prices start at €88,200 for a 730d SE rising to €192,260 for a 760Li Sport. Also on offer, with prices starting at €110,000, is the BMW ActiveHybrid 7.

The first hybrid 7 series offered in the UK and Ireland it’s powered by the 320hp 2,979cc engine taken from the ‘standard’ 740i and adapted with a 55hp synchronous motor, a hybrid specification eight-speed automatic transmission and a lithium-ion high performance battery.

The ActiveHybrid has a max output of 354hp and 500 Nm of torque and accelerates 0 to 100km/h in 5.7 seconds giving a top speed of 250km/h and averaging 41.5mpg with emissions of 158g/km.

At first glance the new 7 series doesn’t look a whole lot different than the present version, but there are design tweaks if you look hard enough, such as the optional adaptive LED headlights, updated larger front grille which has only 9 slats instead of 13 giving it “greater visual impact”, the front bumper has a different air intake arrangement it’s now split in three sections with chrome upright surrounds. The subtleties continue round the back with a deeper red colour lamp unit and additional chrome strips.

The 740d at €99,280 with 313hp and 0 to 100km/h in 5.5 seconds and a reported combined mpg of 49.6 looks to me like the best buy of the bunch, and with CO2 emissions at 149g/km putting it in tax band D, thats €447 per year for now, makes running costs very attractive indeed.

*Subject to confirmation

More photos here

By Simon Manley