Car review: BMW 740Le xDrive

BMW’s big limo combines low emissions with high-end luxury

High tech; high spec (BMW)

No premium car manufacturer has quite such a high-tech approach to cutting emissions as BMW. Since its groundbreaking i8 hybrid sports car in 2014, it has sought to push production car boundaries in plug-in hybrid and carbonfibre technology. The latest car to benefit from this? The BMW 740Le xDrive plug-in hybrid luxury limo.

Surely fat cats don’t worry about saving fuel and the planet? Well, indirectly, they do. Inner city emissions legislation is becoming tougher. In the future, some cities may only allow in zero-emissions cars. The 740Le is thus two cars in one: part continent-crusher, part electric car with extended emissions-free running.

Despite being over 5.2 metres long, this BMW doesn’t have a mammoth multi-cylinder engine. It has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol. Albeit one tuned up to 265bhp, making it the most powerful four-cylinder BMW engine ever. Add on a 111bhp electric motor and you have combined reserves of 322bhp, sent to all four wheels. That equals 0-62mph in a rapid 5.3sec.

There are numerous driving modes and suspension settings, including two eco-focused ones, called Auto xDrive and Max eDrive. ‘Auto’ is like a traditional hybrid, switching between electric and petrol motors where necessary. ‘Max’ keeps it purely in electric up to 87mph, or until the batteries are flat.

Despite this apparent complexity, it’s easy and straightforward to drive. Used normally, it’s very flexible, and the low-speed electric running gives silent, minimal-effort refinement that embarrasses diesel alternatives. So long as the batteries are charged up, that is. Depleted, you’re left with a two-tonne car powered by a gruff 2.0-litre petrol. The aural harshness is in complete contrast to the EV silence.

Official figures rate it at 134mpg, which you’ll achieve if you drive gently and charge it up all the time. But the electric range is only 28 miles: if you, like us, drive it from London to Paris in one hit, you’ll more likely see the 34.2mpg we averaged. For high-mileage users, a diesel still makes more sense.

Particularly as, for a limo, the 7 Series is such a well-rounded machine to drive. Carbon fibre innards cut weight in the right places, giving a balance that its Mercedes-Benz S-Class arch-rival struggles to match. OK, it’s hardly a sports car, but it’s still fun on twisting roads. And air suspension smooths tarmac, isolating passengers from the outside world.

The rear is very well appointed as well. Heated, massaging seats are delectable, the twin screens and snap-in tablet computer are sophisticated. But it’s not quite the perfect airport chauffeur car, as the battery pack in the boot cuts capacity to 420 litres – 90 litres smaller than a regular 7 Series.

Inner-city hotels and businesses are the natural customers for the 740Le xDrive. They will appreciate the brilliant technological achievement of this big limo. It provides nearly all the benefits of an electric car with few of the downsides. Higher-mileage users, however, will rarely see the benefit of the electric motor. They will be better off sticking with the similar-price 740Ld xDrive they’re probably already running.

BMW 740Le xDrive

Price £74,880

Engine 4 cyls, 1998cc, twin-turbo, petrol, plus electric motor

System power 322bhp

System Torque 369lb ft

Gearbox 8-spd automatic

Kerb weight 2,000kg

0-62mph 5.3sec

Top speed 155mph (87mph in EV mode)

Economy 134mpg (combined), 28 miles EV range

CO2 rating/tax band 49g/km, 11%

Rivals Jaguar XJ 3.0 V6 Diesel LWB, Mercedes S300 h

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