I’ve had it up to here with the “cars are dead, SUVs are everything” narrative. There’s a good bit of truth to it, but there’s also a reason why flagship sedans still exist. They’re rolling showcases of the very best of what a luxury marque can do, wrapped up in a stately package that turns heads. The 2024 BMW 750e plug-in hybrid embodies this to a tee, while also proving you don’t have to shell out the really big bucks to get the best of the best.
That’s because this 750e is the so-called base model in the 7 Series lineup. It sure doesn’t look it. BMW dipped our tester in its damn-near-iconic Carbon Black paint, revealing a striking blue highlight when the sun hits it just right. It works very well here; when it’s spotless, you can practically get lost in the reflections of the 7’s slab sides and broad shoulders. It also works to hide some of the unpleasantness up front—but at this point, we’ve accepted the big sniff is here to stay. That doesn’t mean we’re happy about it.
One constant debate that pops up around these parts is whether the S-Class is the better flagship. There’s no arguing the 7 has an undeniable presence, but it just takes up so much visual mass. It’s almost too brutalist in lighter colours, like the Frozen Grey 760i we sampled. On the other hand, say what you will about modern Benzes, but there’s still an elegance to the S-Class regardless of the spec, from an S 580e without the AMG bits to the S 63.
One common thread between the two is that the plug-in hybrid is arguably the sweet spot, but I seem to be in the minority in this argument around the office. The 750e starts with BMW’s turbocharged 3.0-litre inline-six—yes, the revered B58, as it’s known in BMW-speak—putting out 375 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque on its own. That’s healthy, but an electric motor and a 14.4 kWh lithium-ion battery pack bump it all up to 483 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. The 750e is hasty; BMW quotes a zero-to-100 km/h time in under five seconds. My totally scientific testing methods of simply mashing the skinny pedal reveals they were probably right. The 750e hustles well for a 5,600-pound brick.
If you insist on more horsepower, BMW offers its 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 under the hood of the 760i, as well as two all-electric variants: the stupid-fast i7 M70, and the more down-to-earth i7 xDrive60. But never once did I catch myself thinking, “yeah, this thing needs two more cylinders.” As always, BMW’s inline-six is remarkably smooth and sounds great, and the electric end of the equation adds up to 55 kilometres of silent, gas-free commuting. The transition between gas and electric is imperceptible, and the eight-speed automatic—another revered piece of engineering, this time from ZF—is invisible yet always ready. This being the plug-in hybrid, the 750e is commendably stingy, returning an average fuel economy of 6.0 L/100 kilometers over the 650 km we covered.
One thing we can almost all agree on in the neverending S-versus-7 debate is that any flavour of the 7 drives better. That most certainly applies to the 750e. There’s a playfulness to this big behemoth that belies its footprint. Chuck it into a tight on-ramp and the steering wheel weights up nicely as you hold a surprisingly flat line, perhaps even making you almost feel like Jason Statham in the first Transporter. When you’re not giving it the beans, the steering is numb but accurate and effortless, wind and road noise are reduced to a soothing background did, and our tester’s optional 21-inch wheels on summer performance tires don’t impact the 7’s pillowy ride. There’s a duality to the 750e PHEV: it dances just as well as it coddles you.
And coddle you it does, despite ostensibly being a lower-spec 7. This tester is missing lavish extras like cashmere upholstery, the way-cool panoramic glass roof that literally lights up, and reclining rear seating, but it doesn’t suffer for it. The twin display arrangement for the instrument cluster and infotainment seems daunting at first, but spend a couple of minutes to learn the shortcuts and controls—you can manipulate it via the rotary knob on the centre console, or use it as a touchscreen—and it becomes second nature.
Everything you touch feels of quality, the bejewelled controls twinkle in sunlight, BMW’s implementation of ambient lighting in the 7 is arguably better-executed here than the S-Class, and the lavish accommodations regardless of where you sit melt the stress away—especially with the surprisingly strong massaging seats work their magic as the 7 practically drives itself on highway commutes.
When it comes down to brass tacks, the 750e delivers the flagship sedan experience without breaking the bank—relatively speaking. At $142,500 to start and working out to $158,950 as-tested, neither price tag is chump change for the buying public. But when you look at it through the lens of flagship sedans, the 750e represents surprisingly strong value. It undercuts its key competitor bearing the three-pointed star without skimping on the head-turning presence and lavish accomodations you’d expect from a flagship sedan, the performance and silky smoothness you’d expect from a BMW, and the fuel economy you’d expect from a Prius.
And best of all, when you’re at the helm of the 2024 BMW 750e, massage seats working their magic as it practically drives itself through rush-hour traffic, you don’t have to look at the front grille.
