Alongside the X7, BMW India has also launched the mid-life update of the 7 Series today. Prices for the limousine start at Rs 1.22 crore and go all the way up to Rs 2.42 crore (ex-showroom India). It arrives in India in a total of six variants, covering one diesel, two petrol and one Plug-in Hybrid powertrains. Before we get to the specs, let’s just acquaint ourselves with the detailed price list:

• 730Ld DPE – Rs 1.22 Crore
• 730Ld DPE Signature – Rs 1.31 Crore
• 730Ld M Sport – Rs 1.35 Crore
• 740Li DPE Signature – Rs 1.35 Crore
• 745Le xDrive – Rs 1.65 Crore
• M760Li xDrive – Rs 2.42 Crore

No matter which variant you choose, the transmission duties will be handled by an 8-speed automatic unit. All 730Ld variants are powered by a 3.0-litre, 6-cylinder turbo-diesel engine which is good for 265hp/620Nm. The 740Li houses a 3.0-litre, 6-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that puts out 340PS/450Nm. The M760Li, which also gets BMW’s all-wheel-drive system, spearheads the range with a 6.6-litre, twin-turbo V12 petrol engine which produces 585hp/850Nm. That’s so much power that the enormous sedan can hit 100kmph from a standstill in 3.8 seconds.

The most interesting variant is the 745Le xDrive, which is a plug-in hybrid. Here, all-four-wheels are propelled by a combination of a 3.0-litre, 6-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor. On their own, the petrol engine and the electric motor produce 289hp/450Nm and 113hp/265Nm, respectively. The total system output is 394hp/600Nm. With the petrol engine running, the top speed is 250kmph. However, the saloon can also run up to 53km in distance on electric power alone. In zero-emissions mode, the 7 Series facelift can hit a top speed of 140kmph. With the BMW Wallbox charger, the battery powering the electric motor can be juiced up in 4-5 hours. That time shoots up to 8-12 hours if connected to a conventional 220V mains socket.

Obviously, the list of features is extensive. The BMW 7 Series facelift comes with gizmos such as dynamic damper control, adaptive 2-axle air suspension, BMW Display Key, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.25-inc touchscreen infotainment system with gesture control, surround-view camera, auto start/stop, attentiveness assistance and a 16-speaker, 460-watt Harman Kardon sound system.

In India, the refreshed BMW 7 Series renews its rivalry with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the Jaguar XJ. Later this year, the all-new Audi A8 will join the party too.