Comfort and safety also found behind the wheel
There’s no denying the fact that BMW’s 7-Series is a big automobile but the ActiveHybrid 7 successfully conceals much of its bulk through great driving dynamics and sublime comfort. Its heated/cooled front seats are simply divine; I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced a more luxurious perch.
Legroom throughout the leather and woodgrain cabin is exceptional thanks to the long wheelbase of Canadian-sold ActiveHybrid 7s. Along with physical comfort comes musical bliss delivered by a magnificent sounding 16-speaker premium audio system.
With comfort and performance taken care of, BMW chose to emphasize safety and protection. Along with a full-suite of equipment typically found in this segment, my tester was equipped with Night Vision. This technology uses an infrared camera system to display warm objects, such as human bodies or otherwise, onto the in-dash navigation screen and the heads-up windshield display.
The camera can pickup such objects 100m ahead—often that’s beyond the low-beam headlights’ field of illumination as depicted in the accompanying photos.
BMW ActiveHybrid 7 – is there a need?
In many ways, the ActiveHybrid 7 is the “mother of all hybrids.” Whether one discounts its existence as a marketing ploy by BMW to portray itself as being green, time will tell.
From my perspective, the demand for prestigious automobiles with plenty of power and opulence will always exist, so anything that improves the efficiency and cleanliness of these petrol over-consumers is a good thing. Hybrid technology isn’t a panacea but small increments toward green are better than no increments.
There’s no denying the fact that BMW’s 7-Series is a big automobile but the ActiveHybrid 7 successfully conceals much of its bulk through great driving dynamics and sublime comfort. Its heated/cooled front seats are simply divine; I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced a more luxurious perch.
Legroom throughout the leather and woodgrain cabin is exceptional thanks to the long wheelbase of Canadian-sold ActiveHybrid 7s. Along with physical comfort comes musical bliss delivered by a magnificent sounding 16-speaker premium audio system.
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| The Night Vision uses an infrared camera system to display warm objects, such as human bodies or otherwise, onto the in-dash navigation screen and the heads-up windshield display. (Photo: Rob Rothwell/Auto123.com) |
With comfort and performance taken care of, BMW chose to emphasize safety and protection. Along with a full-suite of equipment typically found in this segment, my tester was equipped with Night Vision. This technology uses an infrared camera system to display warm objects, such as human bodies or otherwise, onto the in-dash navigation screen and the heads-up windshield display.
The camera can pickup such objects 100m ahead—often that’s beyond the low-beam headlights’ field of illumination as depicted in the accompanying photos.
BMW ActiveHybrid 7 – is there a need?
In many ways, the ActiveHybrid 7 is the “mother of all hybrids.” Whether one discounts its existence as a marketing ploy by BMW to portray itself as being green, time will tell.
From my perspective, the demand for prestigious automobiles with plenty of power and opulence will always exist, so anything that improves the efficiency and cleanliness of these petrol over-consumers is a good thing. Hybrid technology isn’t a panacea but small increments toward green are better than no increments.
2011 BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid 7L
2011 BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid 7L
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