BMW 750e: Can Munich Finally Knock Stuttgart Off Its Throne?

There are a few occasional truths in the car world. Porsches will always be quicker than they look, Land Rovers will find a way to go wrong at the most inconvenient moment and if you want the world’s best luxury saloon, you buy a Mercedes-Benz S-Class. It has been that way for half a century, almost without interruption. 

But then, parked on the windswept heights of Axe Edge Moor in the Derbyshire Dales, I found myself staring at BMW’s latest attempt to change that natural order - the new 7 Series. Specifically, the plug-in hybrid 750e xDrive M Sport 7 Series to be precise. And as the last of the evening light caught the vast expanse of its bodywork, I wondered if this is finally the one. Has BMW finally built a 7 Series that doesn’t just run the S-Class close, but actually matches it?

Because, if I’m honest, I think that the 7 Series has always lived slightly in the shadow of Stuttgart’s finest. Previous generations were good - sometimes very good - but they were always a bit… well, BMW-ie? Brilliant engineering, yes. Driving pleasure, certainly. But when you slipped into an S-Class you felt the world soften at the edges a tad more. The BMW, by contrast, was more about the numbers than the manners. This one, though. This one is different.

Firstly though, we need to talk about the elephant in the room, which in this case is the grille. Or rather, the pair of conjoined monoliths that BMW insists on calling ‘kidneys’. They are the sort of thing you’d expect to see covering an air vent in a new London skyscraper and I’ll admit they’re divisive. In this spec though and flanked by BMW’s optional crystal Iconic Glow headlights, it’s more restrained than in some of the chrome-heavy versions I have seen around.

The proportions remain resolutely 7 Series. Long, low and slab-sided in a reassuring way and it has presence rather than arrogance. The 21-inch M Star-spoke alloys fill the arches neatly, while the Shadowline trim keeps things discreet. Park it next to the more rounded, almost organic shape of the S-Class and the BMW looks more architectural.

I suspect that in 20 years’ time, people might look back and say, “Oh yes, that was the brave one.” For now, though, it’s at least interesting. And in this segment, where understatement has been the default setting for decades, that counts for something.

Slip inside and the BMW does what all 7 Series have done: it goes for technology and theatre. But this time, there’s also a sense of occasion that was often missing before. Smoke White Merino leather covers everything, broken only by fine Oak trim and the occasional flourish of crystal in the controls. It’s a light, airy place, helped further by the Sky Lounge panoramic roof, which sprinkles LED constellations across the glass at night.

The driving position is pure BMW - upright, commanding and with that subtle curve of the steering wheel rim that just feels right. Ahead, a vast digital display sweeps into an equally vast infotainment screen, both crisp and endlessly configurable. There’s a Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround system that sounds so clean and powerful it could annoy sheep in the next Dale.

In the back, things get even more serious. This is where the S-Class usually makes its killing. But BMW has clearly studied its rival closely. The rear seats recline, heat, cool and massage. The doors have screen that control everything and while the optional Executive Pack Theatre Screen is not fitted here, I implore you to take a look if you want long journeys to turn into full-on Netflix binges.

A word on the automatic doors at this point. Yes, like a Rolls-Royce, the 7 Series can open and close itself. Press a button and it glides shut with the kind of soft mechanical purr you usually associate with luxury kitchen drawers. Useful - not especially. Impressive - absolutely.

Now, to the serious business. Under that long bonnet lies a 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine paired with an electric motor, good for a combined 483 horsepower and a mighty 700 Nm of torque. That is enough to haul this 2.5-tonne leviathan to 62 mph in just 4.8 seconds. Which is, frankly, absurd.

But the numbers that matter more are 26 g/km of CO₂, a claimed 256 mpg (don’t laugh) and an electric-only WLTP range of 47 to 49 miles. In real life, on the way up, I managed a little less that this before the petrol fired up. Still an entirely respectable commute on battery power alone and for many owners, the 750e will likely spend most of its week as an EV.

BMW has always had an edge over Mercedes in terms of driver involvement and that continues here. Integral Active Steering makes manoeuvring this barge easier than you would expect, while Executive Drive Suspension keeps body roll in check without ruining the ride. It doesn’t quite float like an S-Class but it is controlled, settled and quietly rapid when you want it to be.

And this is where the comparison gets serious. The S-Class has always been about effortlessness: the sense that no matter the surface, the speed or the chaos of the outside world, you are insulated from it. The BMW, by contrast, seems to have learned some restraint. 

Yes, the steering is precise and yes, it can hustle in a way its rivals cannot. But what lingers most after a couple of days on Derbyshire’s mix of sweeping A-roads and narrow lanes is just how composed it feels. It’s quiet with only a distant murmur from the straight-six when you press on. At 70 mph on the motorway, it’s practically silent.

BMW has pulled out all the stops with driver assistance. Parking Assistant Pro will reverse the car out of a space the way it came in, like a memory trick. Driving Assistant Professional all but handles the tedious parts of motorway cruising. There’s adaptive everything, night vision, augmented reality navigation, the list is longer than a Wagner opera.

The S-Class has all this too, of course, but BMW’s presentation feels a little more… Silicon Valley. The menus, the graphics, the animations. It’s impressive but occasionally, you still might just want to get in and press “Drive,” and go.

There’s no ignoring the scales. At 2,455 kg unladen, the 750e is not what you’d call lithe. You’re always aware of its mass when braking hard or miss-calculating your entry speed but that’s the reality of plug-in hybrids at this level, burdened with batteries, motors, and everything else required to keep the EU emissions testers happy.

The difference is that BMW disguises it really well. Active steering and suspension trickery mean it never wallows, never embarrasses itself. In fact, it’s almost amusing to feel something this heavy change direction with such grace. Mercedes’ S-Class, by comparison, seems less concerned about hiding its size — it simply smothers the road into submission. Both approaches work. Which you prefer will depend on whether you see driving as a chore or a hobby.

So, has BMW finally cracked it? Has the new 7 Series closed the gap to the mighty S-Class?

The short answer is yes. This is the first 7 that genuinely feels like it belongs in the same conversation. It matches the Mercedes for space, eclipses it on gadgetry, equals it on performance and comes surprisingly close on refinement. It even dares to add a bit of theatre with those automatic doors and crystal lights.

But - and there’s always a but - the S-Class still exists. In truth, both of these cars are about that intangible aura and alchemy of the luxury segment, the sense that you could drive from Derbyshire to Dubrovnik and step out fresher than when you got in and yet, for many buyers, that choice will be very much up to them. 

You buy the BMW because it looks bolder, drives with more intent and makes a statement that says: I didn’t just buy the default choice. I thought about it and chose this. And perhaps that’s the real victory here. For the first time in decades, the S-Class doesn’t just rule by default. The 7 Series has shown up on the moor, planted its flag and said: “I belong here too.”

https://www.bmw.co.uk/en/index.html

Model: BMW G70 750e xDrive M Sport 7 Series

Base Price (OTR / As Driven): £109,105 / £130,652

Propulsion: 3.0-litre, 6 Cylinder Plug-In Hybrid

Drivetrain: All-wheel drive,

Transmission: 8-Speed Sport Automatic Transmission with Gearshift Paddles

Output: 483 hp

Torque: 700 Nm

Unladen Weight (DIN): 2,455 kg

0-62 mph: 4.8 Seconds

Top Speed: 155 mph

WLTP Electric Range (Combined): 47 -49 Miles 

WLTP Consumption (Combined): 256 mpg

C02 Emission (WLTP): 26 g/km