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 BMWs 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.
12/29, 12:33 PM
posted by:
EuroDurance
How much weight will this add to an already weighty car? Especially if it comes on the Li. EuroDurance has spoken.
12/29, 1:05 PM
posted by:
tripleonefive
Well the Bimmer should have had that option already being that its expensive as hell. Lexus LS 460 has it and the smaller Acura RL offered it (yes I know the RL competes with the GS and the 5 Series but its their flagship) so it was only a matter of time
12/29, 1:50 PM
posted by:
howsmydriving
AWD does more than just “eat a bit into fuel economy.” It increases the costs of maintenance and destroys the car’s weight distribution for which BMW is famous.
12/29, 2:15 PM
posted by:
CarResearcher
Well its about time!
12/29, 2:59 PM
posted by:
snork
They pretty much HAD to at least offer it, especially here in the NYC area. More than half the M-B S550s I see on the road have 4MATIC…and that’s the 7-series primary competition.
12/29, 4:26 PM
posted by:
Borat
Folks who can afford 7 series probably don’t care much about fuel economy (in US) nor cost of maintenance since it is free for 4 years or 50K miles.