Mercedes creams BMW when it comes to sales of its flagship sedan in the U.S. But regardless of whether or not the 7 Series will ever beat the S-Class, BMW’s entry receives meaningful updates for the 2020 model year.
A new look helps solidify the sedan’s stance at the top of the BMW lineup. Not everyone is going to like it, but the grille is much larger than before, and the trim surrounding the grille is also bolder. The model has a new hood, as well as redesigned lower front bumper air intakes with large air deflectors to curb turbulence around the wheel openings. In the rear, you’ll find slim taillights, which are connected by a thin light strip running across the entire tailgate.
Along with an updated exterior design, most of the engines receive more horsepower. The base 3.0-liter six-cylinder makes 335 hp, up from 320 hp on last year’s model. Torque remains at 330 lb-ft. The 4.4-liter V-8 receives an even more sizable increase in power, coming in at 523 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. That’s an increase of 80 hp and 74 lb-ft from the old model. The 6.6-liter V-12 holds steady at 600 hp, but torque has jumped to 627 lb-ft from 590 lb-ft. A Sport+ mode is now available on this model.
Previously, BMW offered a plug-in hybrid variant with a four-cylinder engine. Now, BMW is switching out that model for a six-cylinder plug-in with a new lithium-ion battery that packs the latest battery cell tech. This variant produces a total output of 389 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque, up from 322 hp and 369 lb-ft. BMW hasn’t revealed the all-electric driving range, and fuel economy numbers have not yet been announced for any variant.
As you can imagine, models with the base engine are the slowest. BMW estimates a 0-60 time of 5.3 seconds with rear-wheel drive, or 4.8 seconds when paired with all-wheel drive. V-8 models can perform the task in 3.9 seconds, while V-12 models can crank it out in just 3.6 seconds, according to BMW. The plug-in requires 4.9 seconds. All models are paired with an eight-speed automatic.
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