Make and model: BMW 750e
Description: Plug-in hybrid variant of largest luxury saloon
Price range: £105,620 to £121,195
BMW says: “Redefining the luxury segment with new levels of electrification, sustainability and digitalisation.”
We say: If you can get beyond the looks, the BMW 750e is luxury travel at its best, albeit at a cost.
Introduction
When BMW came to apply its latest update to the 7 Series, the design team must have had clearly in mind that they were dealing with a car long regarded as the epitome of luxury transport, renowned for its space and comfort, impressive road performance and the technology it boasted.
The result, unveiled in 2022, was a bold reimagining of the BMW 7 Series as an electrified model only – no more conventional petrol or diesel engines. Instead the choice was between a plug-in hybrid, a more sporty plug-in hybrid under the German brand’s M designation, and tow versions of the full-electric i7.
What also debuted with the new model was possibly the most controversial example yet of BMW’s anything but subtle styling, the car’s grille in particular dividing opinions. And all this was contained within a package that even in the ‘entry-level’ version of the car being tested here, came with a six-figure price tag.
What is it?
The BMW 750e is a large four-door saloon – in fact a very large four-door saloon because in its latest incarnation it is only available in long-wheelbase form, taking up 3.2 metres of a car that in total measures close to 5.4 metres long and just under two metres wide.
With its six cylinder petrol engine and its single electric motor, is the base model of the four BMW 7 Series models, all of them all-wheel drive only. There is also a more potent plug-in hybrid, the M760, and two electric i7 versions.
First impressions
Few cars appear so dominant on first viewing as does the BMW 7 Series, and not just because it will take up every inch of the average car park space. From the side, those gargantuan proportions conversely do not appear too bulbous, with some nice swooping surfaces running along the car – it’s just when you get to the front.
Many have made fun of BMW’s recent penchant for large grilles and in the 7 Series the style is taken to the limit. The famed kidney shape starts well onto the bonnet which means that the grille has to have an awkward crease in it, and it ends just above the registration plate – it is a totally marmite design and interestingly replicated on the fully-electric i7, a model that does not need a grille at all.
BMW has also managed to install some of the slimmest headlights yet on the front of the 7 Series but while impressive, they also make the grille appear even bigger.
We like: General proportions make a good impression.
We don’t like: The grille – it’s simply too big and in one’s face.
What do you get for your money?
The days of everything on a BMW being an option are long gone and a sizable amount of standard equipment comes with our 7 Series, including plenty of technology. Admittedly, we have the M Sport, the upper of the two trim levels, but it does not actually add a great deal of significance over the £5,000 cheaper Excellence entry trim – alloy wheels that are 20 rather than 19 inches, leather on the steering wheel and various options regarding the rear spoiler and paint finish. The Excellence would appear worthy of just as much consideration.
Highlights of the standard equipment list include a wireless charging tray for one’s smartphone, a top-quality Bowers & Wilkins sound system, a driver’s head-up display and a great deal of electrically powered adjustment in the front seats.
There is an options list, of course, some of it reflecting the likely use of the car as transport for very important people. Topping it all is the Executive Pack, which costs a whopping £11,000 and transforms the rear into what is dubbed by BMW as an ‘executive lounge’. Occupants get their own console, massaging seats, roller blinds on the windows and even a 30-inch screen that folds down from the ceiling to host visual entertainment.
Other notables on the options list include the sky lounge, which adds a panoramic sunroof and the opportunity to fit an even better sound system. One can even choose to have the doors fully open automatically at the touch of an interior button or the flush exterior handles.
In terms of safety, the 7 Series has not been subjected to a Euro NCAP crash test programme, probably because the nature of the car means it does not sell in large numbers. But it does come with a complete safety package, including a long list of ADAS electronic driver aids – these even extend to a warning if you open the door when someone or something is passing. A reversing and parking assistant with rear-view camera is also standard.
Editor’s note: I spent a few hours this week being chauffeured around Munich in the lounge-like comfort of an electric i7 version of the BMW 7 Series with the £11K Executive Pack option. It’s fair to say that it’s like no other luxury saloon on the market – even a Rolls-Royce or Bentley – with its 30-inch television screen that folds down from the ceiling, automatically popping up the roller blinds in the side and rear windows at the same time.
Stretched out with the seat fully extended (which folds the empty front passenger seat forward and moves it as far forward as it can slide), with the seat blowing cool air through its ventilation system and gently massaging my back as we wafted along a German autobahn, it was entirely delightful…
Personally, I found having the enormous screen so close to my face was not particularly pleasant while we were moving, so I preferred to have it folded away while I snoozed and generally luxuriated in comfort. These sort of glamorous opportunities don’t come up too often, so you need to take them when you can! (Stuart Masson, editor)
We like: Extensive specification including strong safety suite.
We don’t like: The desirable Executive Pack option is a pricey addition.
What’s the BMW 750e like inside?
One cannot fail to be impressed by the interior of the 750e, as one should be with this car’s intended market. The space is immediately noticeable, particularly for rear-seat passengers, while compared to its predecessor there is also now a little extra headroom, even with the optional sunroof fitted. The boot is huge too, at 525 litres.
BMW knows how to do interior finishes and the 750e fulfils the brief, with lots of soft-touch surfaces in quality materials. Having said that, some of the styling choices are a little odd, with the somewhat random slots and holes of the ‘crystal detailing’ appearing slightly coarse as they run into adjacent finishes of wood and cut glass.
The driver lacks for little in terms of information. The twin screens of the digital driving information display and the central infotainment touchscreen are contained in one long panel that runs across the fascia in a gentle curve.
There are very few buttons – the large rotary control at the base of the centre console remains, and this takes care of a whole range of functions in partnership with the touchscreen. Yes, BMW is another to have gone this route and it would be better to have just a couple of extra physical controls to adjust such basics as the cabin temperature.
Both rear-seat passengers get their own additional touchscreens mounted on the inside door panel, allowing them to make their own choices with seat adjustment, temperature and entertainment – very business class…
We like: General space and luxury
We don’t like: Strange trim combinations
What’s under the bonnet?
The 750e makes use of a six-cylinder 3.0-litre petrol engine, with the electric motor contained within the automatic transmission and powered by its own 19 kWh battery. The car is officially rated at just under 50 miles on electric-only power, so not the best for benefit-in-kind tax savings but when spending this much on a car that likely won’t be the major concern.
This is the slowest of the BMW 7 Series line-up, but with more than 480hp on tap and a sizable 700Nm of torque it’s certainly not slow, with an official 0-62mph time of 4.8 seconds.
In terms of fuel economy, no plug-in hybrid owner takes much notice of official figures and we found during our week with the car we averaged mpg figures in the high 30s, getting closer to 40mpg on a constant-speed long motorway run. For a big car that weighs close to 2.5 tonnes, these are reasonable results. A full recharge of the hybrid battery, by the way, will take three hours using a 7kW home charger.
What’s the BMW 750e like to drive?
It feels like a big car when you look at it, and when you sit in it – but not when you drive it. The 750e is a joy to drive – for a start it’s so refined that you do feel that you are in a full EV, the petrol powertrain doing very little to advertise itself. Equally the auto gear changes are very smooth indeed, virtually unnoticeable.
The range of settings includes a standard hybrid mode with the electric motor doing all the work at slower speeds around town. The general drive modes include expected settings such as Sport but also boast the likes of ‘Expressive’ and ‘Relax’, something that seems more the preserve of sister brand Mini than this executive luxury heavyweight.
Ride comfort is exemplary, as one would expect, but this is a fairly potent beast too – overtaking manoeuvres are swiftly dispatched, and the standard-fit air suspension and the all-wheel-drive chassis work very well together to keep the car upright in bends, never descending into the barge-like characteristics one would be forgiven for expecting from something so big. In these surroundings, even very long journeys are a pleasurable experience.
We like: Combination of performance and refinement.
We don’t like: Electric-only range is not that long.
Verdict
There is a lot to like about the BMW 750e – from its top-notch luxury travel credentials and latest tech to the fact it can perform when needed. As such, it should appeal to those who want to travel in comfort and make an impression upon arrival.
Having said that, it is a very expensive car, and with an equivalent version of the fully electric i7 costing only around £10,000 more, it’s easy to make a case for going the full EV route unless your schedule constantly demands long journeys and instant availability with no downtime recharging. The 750e made a big impression in its week with us but pushed to choose, we’d probably opt for its electric sister.
Similar cars
Audi A8 | Bentley Flying Spur | Lexus LS | Maserati Quattroporte | Mercedes-Benz S-Class | Range Rover | Rolls-Royce Ghost
Key specifications
Model tested: BMW 750e xDrive M Sport
Price: £132,075.01
Engine: 3.0-litre petrol plus electric motor
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 483 hp
Torque: 700 Nm
Top speed: 155 mph
0-60 mph: 4.8 seconds
Fuel consumption: 214 mpg
CO2 emissions: 26 g/km
Euro NCAP safety rating: Not yet tested (July 2025)
TCE Expert Rating: B (64%) (July 2025)
Buy a BMW 7 Series
If you’re looking to buy a new or used BMW 7 Series, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find the right car.
Lease a BMW 7 Series
If you’re looking to lease a new BMW 7 Series, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find a competitive deal.
Personal contract hire deals from Carparison Leasing. Find out more
Personal contract hire deals from Select Car Leasing. Find out more
Subscribe to a BMW 7 Series
Subscriptions are becoming a very popular way for consumers to try an electric car for a few weeks or months to help decide whether it’s a suitable alternative to a petrol car. If you’re interested in a car subscription, The Car Expert’s partners can help. (PS: What’s a car subscription?)