Leona Ellis Blog: First Drive review: 2016 BMW 740Le xDrive iPerformance

WEALTHY INDIVIDUALS looking for a way to save tax don’t need to move their cash to the Cayman Islands. Their local BMW dealer has just the answer: the new, plug-in hybrid 740Le iPerformance.

Looking almost identical to its conventionally powered siblings – apart from an extra flap on the front wing covering the charging socket – the 740Le iPerformance is a very different proposition when it comes to the annual tax return.

Whereas its close relative the 740Ld xDrive attracts a charge of more than £7,000 for higher-rate taxpayers, the more powerful 740Le xDrive will add just £3,292 to your income tax, and there’s no road tax to pay, either.

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Likewise, although fuel economy is unlikely to worry the driver, or more likely the person lost in the vast rear seats who signs the cheques, the fact is that, at least on paper, the 740Le does 134.5mpg to the 740Ld’s 53mpg.

In reality, the hybrid 740Le won’t get close to the diesel’s figure unless it is driven mostly on electric power. It can travel no more than 29 miles between recharges (27 miles for four-wheel-drive xDrive versions), but plugging into the wall could mean fossil-free motoring to and from the boardroom.

The London congestion charge is another matter, because the 740Le xDrive, which emits 54g/km CO2, according to the official European test, and the standard-wheelbase 740e, which emits an even more paltry 49g/km, cost more than £60,000, making them ineligible for the exemption. For the same reason, neither are they eligible for the government’s plug-in car grant.

PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles) such as the 740Le are so-called because they’re powered by a combination of internal combustion engine and electric motor, in its case a 2.0-litre, twin turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing 252bhp, and a 240kW electric motor. Together they generate a system output of 322bhp and 369 lb ft torque. That compares favourably with the tax-heavy 3-litre petrol 740Li (322bhp and 332 lb ft), but not so the 740Ld (316bhp but a monster 502lb ft).

The 740e’s tiddly 4-cylinder engine (this engine bay can swallow a 6.6-litre V12 with room to spare — you could almost stand in the space between the radiator and the engine) is hidden underneath a comically large plastic engine cover.

“BMW admitted they’d considered installing a six-cylinder petrol engine but wouldn’t have got CO2 emissions below 50g/km”

You can’t see the electric motor. It’s located farther down the drivetrain. In two wheel-drive versions it and the engine power the rear wheels via the eight-speed “Steptronic” transmission (with optional gearshift paddles). In xDrive versions, they power all four wheels, permanently.

The engine bay may have room to spare but the 420-litre boot is 90 litres smaller than the one that comes with standard diesel and petrol variants. That’s because the battery has taken the fuel tank’s usual position under the rear seats, sending it to a position beneath the boot floor.

It’s only 46 litres (smaller than that fitted to non-hybrid variants) so fits snugly enough. There’s even space for a storage compartment beneath the lift-up floor. On models fitted with air suspension, the car can be lowered to permit heavy or bulky objects to be lifted more easily into the boot.

Like other hybrids, a power management system allows the driver to choose electric or engine power, or a combination of both. Assuming there’s sufficient charge, in the default Auto eDrive position, the car runs on battery power up to 50mph, before the engine takes over. In Max eDrive the battery provides electric-only driving up to a maximum speed of 87mph.

In Battery Control mode the car is powered by the engine while the battery is recharged. In this mode, the driver can select when to bring the battery back into play.

The smartest mode, though, is Predictive. It uses the sat nav, and speed and traffic density data to decide when to engage electric-only driving, for example in urban situations.

Click to follow our extended test of the plug-in hybrid BMW 225xe (2-series Active Tourer)

Like all hybrids with sufficient juice in the battery, the 740Le xDrive starts silently with a press of the start button and pulls away effortlessly thanks to the dollop of torque provided instantly by the electric motor. Double-glazing ensures the car remains deathly quiet even as the speed builds.

Like its stablemates, the 740Le xDrive cruises serenely, although you can feel its bulk in corners (it weighs 165kg more than the 740Ld xDrive), when it feels less agile. On the other hand, under hard acceleration, its weight evaporates as it launches itself at the horizon like a PHEV owner rushing to file their tax return before the deadline.

The electric motor does a great job of concealing the four-cylinder petrol engine but there are occasions when even it has to give up the fight. At this point, coarse vibrations can be felt through the steering wheel, occasionally during power mode transitions, and when the car is accelerating under engine power alone. A BMW engineer sheepishly admitted they’d considered installing a six-cylinder petrol engine but wouldn’t have got CO2 emissions below 50g/km.

The interior of the 740Le is stock 7 Series. There are three trim levels – standard, Exclusive and M Sport – but all have a high level of standard equipment including the BMW Display Key that connects you to the car, ConnectedDrive navigation and smartphone integration, gesture control and pre-conditioning so the car is pre-warmed (or cooled) before you get in. LED headlights, hand-stitched leather seats and acres of aluminium complete the package.

However, regardless of trim level, the crowning feature of the 740Le is its vast rear cabin, complete with acres of legroom. It’s the just the place to sit back and plan how you’re going to spend the money you’d otherwise have given to the Treasury.