Under the motto “Power of Choice” BMW invited us to Munich for a little trip to explore the beautiful surroundings with the final destination Tegernsee. We had to choose between the BMW 840d xDrive Coupé, the M850i xDrive Gran Coupé and the 745e. Guess what we took? Of course, we chose the BMW 745e and didn’t reget our choice. The BMW 7 series combines sportiness, travel comfort and feel-good ambience. All what we need for a little road trip. Besides the new plug-in hybrid offers the possibility of a purely electric, locally emission-free and almost noiseless driving experience. So fully electric you can drive up to 58 kilometers.
From the outside, the new BMW 7 plug-in hybrid can only be recognised by its electric charging socket at the front left and of course the type designation 745e at the rear. But apart from that, that’s it.

Our drive in the BMW 745e through the beautiful surroundings of Munich was at any time very relaxed and comfortable. In the best weather we made our way to Tegernsee while we passed by among others the Sylvensteinspeicher. Such a wonderful excursion destination.

Power of Choice: on tour with the BMW 840d xDrive Coupé, the M850i xDrive Gran Coupé and the BMW 745e.

The new BMW 7 plug-in hybrid combines a new high-voltage battery with a six-cylinder petrol engine. So the work is shared by the three-litre in-line six-cylinder engine with 210 kW/286 hp and a 83 kW/113 hp electric motor. The further advanced power electronics features intelligent energy management for a precisely controlled interaction between the two power units and with activated preview function efficient assignment of the electrical driving share to those route sections which are to be covered with zero emissions.
The vehicle set-up and operating mode of the drive system can be selected in the central console. The driving experience switch offers the modes SPORT for a particularly dynamic set-up and ADAPTIVE for a set-up that is geared towards the relevant driving style and situation. Besides you have the three operating modes HYBRID, ELECTRIC and BATTERY CONTROL. HYBRID mode serves as the standard setting activating a balanced set-up and optimised interaction between the combustion engine and electric motor. In the ELECTRIC mode you drive purely electric and the BATTERY CONTROL mode serves to keep the charge state of the high-voltage battery at a level determined by the driver.
The BMW 745e accelerates in 5.2 seconds from zero to 100 km/h. The maximum speed is electronically cut off at 250 km/h. When driving in the HYBRID mode you can travel at a speed of up to 110 km/h purely electric. The combustion engine only switches on at higher speeds or particularly intensive load requirements. In the ELECTRIC mode, the power of the electric motor alone is even sufficient to reach a speed of 140 km/h. 

The new BMW 7 series comes with an impressive front and an iconic kidney grille. It radiates dynamics and presence. The flowing contours create a timeless elegance. Next level driving intelligence is making the BMW 7 feel effortless to control. There are many features to choose from. Parking Assistant Plus comes as standard, while powerful extras such as Driving Assistant Professional and Remote Parking are optional. But with all the features our journey has been made much easier and therefore more enjoyable.

Also the interior of the BMW 7 series leaves nothing to be desired. Contemporary luxury in a class of its own offering and exceptional ambience and an innovative configuration. The interior is perfectly finished. A great feature is the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, which makes life much easier for the driver. For example you can select an interior experience as a combination of seat conditioning, seat massage, interior temperature, fragrance and shading based on specifically defined experience modes. So enjoying the beautiful nature around you while getting a seat massage – it could be worse, or not. Besides the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant helps you to search for parking spaces and charging options.

Conclusion: we definitely made the right choice – the BMW 745e offers pure driving pleasure, driving dynamics, excellent seating comfort, clear handling, good all-round visibility and many intelligent safety systems and extras features. Of course, all the luxury such as driving the car while getting a massage has to be reflected in the price. The BMW 745e starts at a price from 99.624,00 €. We enjoyed exploring the surroundings of Munich in the BMW 745e to the fullest. Thanks BMW for having us.

For more tech specs about the BMW 7 series, head over to the BMW website.

Pictures: BMW for ellectric
Text: Britta Reineke