Not content with the car maker’s success across the board in this year’s awards, BusinessCar readers favoured the 7-series over last year’s winner, the Jaguar XJ, as the best luxury car.
The current fifth-generation model has been on sale since early 2009, so while it isn’t as fresh as the Jag, the win indicates that it is a good product with longevity.
The extravagant 750 and 760 variants, with their exceedingly powerful V8 and V12 petrol engines, will no doubt tempt chief executives and managing directors, but the reality is they account for a small slice of sales. Although running costs may be less crucial in this sector, there’s no denying the 3.0-litre turbodiesel 730d and 740d models make a world more sense. Both offer in excess of 40mpg and emissions levels as low as 178g/km, hence why they account for around 85% of 7-series sales. Long-wheelbase diesel variants with all the associated status and class of their petrol-powered siblings have made the 7-series an attractive option for chauffeurs, too.
BMW has yet to festoon its luxury car with a full Efficient Dynamics variant, although it does draw on some of the technology used elsewhere to keep running costs down. If it does, then the 7-series is more than likely to make another appearance as an award winner.