2013 BMW 7 Series Gets a Facelift and More Efficient Engines

BMW is giving its flagship sedan, the 2013 7 Series a facelift. The updates to the 2013 7 Series include powertrain upgrades for the 740i/Li and 750i/Li models, in addition to a new powertrain for the ActiveHybrid 7. The exterior also gets a few tweaks and the interior gets a redesigned iDrive system.

2013 BMW 7 SeriesBMW is giving its flagship sedan, the 2013 7 Series a facelift. The updates to the 2013 7 Series include powertrain upgrades for the 740i/Li and 750i/Li models, in addition to a new powertrain for the ActiveHybrid 7. The exterior also gets a few tweaks and the interior gets a redesigned iDrive system.

The top 7 Series is still the 760Li with its Twin Turbo V12, which does not get any engine updates for the new model year. Both the six-cylinder 740i/Li and the V8-powered 750i/Li models get upgrades that give both models better performance and greater efficiency. The six-cylinder engine in the 740i/Li has been upgraded to the latest 3.0L TwinPower Turbo (N55) engine. It packs 315 horsepower and 330 lb-ft. of torque. The engine is mated to a 8-speed automatic transmission and buyers can choose the optional xDrive all-wheel-drive system. According to BMW, the 2013 740i/Li is 20 percent more efficient on the EU test cycle.

2013 BMW 7 Series

The 4.4L V8 in the 750i/Li models has been updated with Valvetronic, BMW’s throttle-less intake system. The updated engine now packs 445 horsepower, a 45 hp increase over its predecessor, and 480 lb-ft of torque, an increase of 30 lb-ft. The V8 is mated to BMW’s 8-speed automatic transmission. The V8 is more fuel efficient than the outgoing engine, but accelerates the 750i/Li from 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds.

Both 740i/Li and 750i/Li models benefit from BMW’s Auto Start/Stop System which shuts off the engine when stopped at traffic lights or in stop-and-go traffic to further maximize fuel savings.

2013 BMW 7 Series

2013 also brings the second generation of the BMW ActiveHybrid 7. The new ActiveHybrid 7 is now powered by the a 3.0L TwinPower Turbo six-cylinder engine, instead of the V8 in the last model. The six-cylinder engine has the same 315 horsepower as the 740i and is mated to a 55 horsepower electric motor, a hybrid-spec 8-speed Steptronic automatic transmission and a lithium ion high-performance battery. The 2013 ActiveHybrid 7 has a combined output of 349 horsepower and 367 lb-ft. of torque. It reaches 0-60 mph in 5.5 seconds. In the EU test cycle, the ActiveHybrid 7 was 14 percent more fuel efficient than the new 740Li.

2013 BMW 7 Series

On the outside the 2013 7 Series gets a new larger BMW kidney grille that includes nine slats in place of the previous 12. The lower section of the front fascia is now dominated by a large air intake that has been split into three sections. Included is BMW’s innovative “air curtain” technology, which lowers fuel consumption at higher speeds by forcing the air to flow more aerodynamically around the front wheels. The new BMW 740i/Li and 750i/Li are equipped with standard Adaptive Xenon headlights. Adaptive LED Headlights are optional on those models and standard on the 760Li.

2013 BMW 7 Series

The 7 Series interior gets updates that include redesigned, more slender front seats and the optional Rear Seat Entertainment Package now includes an iDrive controller and two 9.2-inch screens which, instead of being integrated into the front seats, appear to be “floating” on them.

The 2013 BMW 7 Series will arrive in US showrooms this summer.