(July 25, 2012) The flagship BMW 7-Series is getting a major refreshening for the 2013 model year including styling upgrades, a new standard eight-speed automatic transmission, and a new hybrid powertrain.

The 2013 740i/Li, 750i/Li and 760Li will go on sale later this summer; the ActiveHybrid 7 follows later this year.



In the styling department, the face has undergone the biggest changes.
The 7-Series features a new, more angular front grille and a new front bumper.  The iconic twin-kidney grille goes from 12 slats on each side to nine, and below the grille the once rectangular air intake  gains some larger outer sections, lowering the look of the nose.  

The taillight design has been enhanced, and there's a new chrome strip along the trunk lid.

New features include an optional adaptive LED headlight system (standard on the 760Li) that features both high- and low-beam LED lamps. Most LED headlights today just feature low-beam LEDs with high-beam halogens. There's also a new hands-free trunk opening system, similar to the one in the 2013 Ford Escape. You wave your foot underneath the rear of the vehicle and the trunk opens automatically.

In addition to the new eight-speed automatic transmission, which was previously only available for the V-12 and hybrid models, there's an auto start/stop and brake regeneration system that is standard on the 740i/Li and 750i/Li, and a self-leveling rear air suspension that is now standard on all models. A new Eco Pro button can decouple the engine when the vehicle is coasting from 30 to 100 mph, increasing fuel efficiency by 20 percent, according to BMW.

The inline-six-cylinder engine and V-8 benefit from a host of technology measures that enhance power and fuel efficiency, says BMW. The 3.0-liter inline-six, which is available on the 740i/Li, gets a new single twin-scroll turbocharger, a new direct-injection fuel system and Valvetronic timing system. For the first time, the 740i/Li will get BMW's xDrive all-wheel-drive system.

The turbo 4.4-liter V-8 also gets an updated Valvetronic system, which when combined with other enhancements increases the motor's power to 445 horsepower, up 45 from last year's model. Combined with the new eight-speed automatic transmission, the six- and eight-cylinder powertrains are expected to get 20 percent and 25 percent better fuel efficiency over the current models, respectively.

The ActiveHybrid 7 gets a new powertrain. Gone is the eight-cylinder engine, replaced by the same turbocharged inline 6 found in the 2012 BMW ActiveHybrid 5.

In the cabin, the 7 Series features new front seats that are more slender, freeing up cabin space. Also, BMW says it added more sound-deadening materials to the B- and C-pillars and the trunk, as well as revised seals along the window frames and mirrors to further reduce wind noise.