BMW ’s all-new 7-Series made its world debut at the 2008 Paris Motor Show and its U.S. debut at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, but the flagship Bimmer isn’t quite done with its auto show tour. BMW will unveil and all-wheel drive variant of the new sedan in 2009.
According to Automotive News Europe, BMW will unveil the AWD 7-Series at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The AWD sedan is currently undergoing final shakedown testing in snowing conditions, which should prepare the 7 for inclement weather around the world.
As with most all-wheel drive BMW s the 7-Series will carry the xDrive nameplate, and will initially only be available on the 750i. However, the sure-footed option will soon spread to other 7-Series models, although there are no plans to offer AWD on diesel models.
The all-wheel drive 7 will also come with ‘Hill-Descent’ control, making the 7-Series the first luxury sedan to offer such a feature. Hill descent controls are typically reserved for off-road vehicles.
The AWD option will tack on €2,500 to €2,800 to the price of standard 7-Series in Europe, with U.S. pricing yet to be announced. However, to keep in line with other xDrive pricing, expect the option to run about $2,000 on this side of the Atlantic. The AWD option will eat a bit into fuel economy, but the trade off of for all-weather drivability will likely be worth it for drivers in snowy regions.
