BMW 7 Series: New benchmark for innovation

Automaker launches new flagship sedan for Chinese market in Beijing

BMW's new flagship sedan presents more innovative digital and luxury features to the Chinese market.

The automaker launched its BMW 740Li and BMW 750Li xDrive in a ceremony on Saturday Beijing Yanqi Lake International Convention & Exhibition Center. The models, which will have four total variations, is priced from 1,188,000 yuan ($187,110) to 1,988,000 yuan.

The new BMW 7 Series showcases the group's strength in innovations. It redefines modern luxury and realizes a balance among advanced technologies, intelligent connections and a premium experience.

Actor Pierce Brosnan, who as the character James Bond drove a number of luxurious and high-tech BMW models from 1994 to 2005, presented the automaker's new models at the ceremony.

In the new models, the BMW Group is presenting major technological leaps, loaded with unique innovations, for the 21st century. The new 7 Series underlines the automaker's claim to redefine what an exclusive, luxurious driving experience looks like in modern times.

The Display Key for the new 7 Series, for example, enables the owner of the car to park it using a remote control. The luxury sedan also automatically calculates when the vehicle must brake when pedestrians or objects are within sight.

"The 7 Series has been leading the executive segment in China for six out of the past seven years. It set the benchmark and we anticipate we will play a significant role in this very competitive segment. Technology and innovation is part of our DNA. It's what we are about and shapes up our brand. It is the heart of our company; that applies all models," said Ian Robertson, member of the management board of BMW Group.

"The all-new BMW 7 Series is currently the most luxurious and innovative model of BMW; we take great pride in it. We believe Chinese consumers are keen on innovative technology and we hope the vehicle can win the hearts of Chinese customers. We have full confidence in the market outlook of the all-new BMW 7 series," said Karsten Engel, president and CEO, BMW Group Region China.

The sixth-generation BMW 7 Series has been in production from July 1 at the automaker's plant in the town of Dingolfing, 100 kilometers northeast of Munich. The BMW Group has invested 500 million euros ($563.4 million) over the past three years to upgrade the facility to implement its latest technologies.

Each BMW 7 Series sedan is tailor-made to the demands of its customers, with a wide range of options and customizations to suit their personal preferences.

"Every 7 Series is just as unique as its owner's personality. That is modern luxury. It perfectly matches the customers' expectations," Engel said.

The sixth generation of the BMW 7 Series, featuring the BMW i technology, made its debut in Munich in June. The new BMW 7 is the first vehicle with a body structure built of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, steel and aluminum, a design principle the automaker calls the Carbon Core. The lightweight Carbon Core lowers the vehicle's center of gravity, increases its torsional rigidity and allows it to maneuver with exceptional quietness.

The carbon fiber-intensive, lightweight structure, initially applied in the BMW i8 hybrid sports car, has cut the BMW 7's weight by 130 kilograms compared with the previous model. The automaker's designers claim it will also cut down on fuel consumption by 0.6 liters per 100 km.

To design and develop the car, BMW employed the opinions and preferences of its customers in China, the company's largest market for the BMW 7 Series, accounting for about half of global sales.

After more than a million performance tests in China, the new BMW 7 Series has been tuned in accordance with the road surface, with its Enhanced Comfort chassis engineered for Chinese customers.

The new 7 Series is also loaded with electronics. It is the luxury carmaker's first auto series to respond to hand gestures. It also features wireless inductive charging for mobile phones and a removable seven-inch computer tablet to control information and entertainment functions.

A PM2.5 filter was also developed for Chinese customers to enjoy fresh air while in the car, while the Vitality Program is inspired by the nationwide fitness campaign.

"With each generation of the 7 Series, we have brought our customers' needs to the road, adapting accordingly as time moved on. Each generation has defined, changed and advanced mobility. Each generation has delivered ground-breaking innovations and set new standards," Engel said.

BMW launched its latest strategy for the Chinese market in August, prioritizing innovation as its core concept. The strategy, called Innovation-Powered by Joy, aims more directly at innovation while holding to its motto of "Future, Young and China".

"Innovation is the core strength of our company to build up a story of success that has lasted for nearly 100 years. Innovation is to take new perspectives, do things differently and move ahead of others before any trend becomes reality. At BMW, we always believe the best way to predict the future is to create it," said Engel.

BMW China organized a team of experts to conduct research over the past two years to examine the brand and how it should develop in the future. It queried more than 3,000 BMW car owners, industry specialists and experts.

The 15-monthslong survey found changes in how high-end consumers think and helped the brand see the meaning of luxury as inseparable from sustainable development, digitalization and connectivity.

BMW expects the new 7 Series to set a new benchmark for luxurious driving experience, offering more interior ambience and innovative functionality. The new 7 Series was developed for innovators who understand the meaning of success, forethought and vision.

The new BMW 7 Series' innovative design starts from the lighting system. The smart laser light is, for the first time, equipped in the model. The welcome light carpet invented by BMW designers to create reverence and bring a ceremonial enjoyment to the experience of getting in and out of the vehicle.

Yang Cheng contributed to the story.

haoyan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 10/26/2015 page19)