You can see that the...
You can see that the car"s front end is lifted straight from the Roomster supermini-MPV, unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The model snapped here is the estate variant, which will go on sale alongside a conventional five-door hatchback. A saloon version will also be available, but it is thought the Fabia line-up will continue without a three-door.
Fans of German super-saloons...
Fans of German super-saloons are about to be in seventh heaven! These
are the first official pictures of BMWò€™s new flagship ò€“ and itò€™s
shaping up to be a big hit.
The controversial styling of the
existing 7-Series has been ditched in favour of a more sculpted and
modern look. A larger trademark kidney grille is surrounded by a wider,
flatter bonnet and rakish headlights inspired by the CS concept seen at
2007ò€™s Shanghai Motor Show. In profile, the car is no longer
slab-sided, but features flared arches and small vents behind the front
wheels, as well as a sharp crease at the waist that leads to a more
rounded rear end.
Inside, the iDrive control system has a
10.2-inch screen with wireless Internet access. All-new suspension
delivers a cosseting ride, and petrol cars get air springs at the rear.
For those who want a sportier drive, the gearbox, throttle, dampers and
steering settings can be sharpened via a button on the dash. There are
normal, comfort and sports modes, while sports+ deactivates the DSC
stability system. Topping the range is a 750i with the 4.4-litre
twin-turbo V8 from the X6. It has 401bhp and 600Nm of torque ò€“ enough
for 0-60mph in 5.2 seconds and a limited top speed of 155mph.
Other
options include the 740i with a 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six, and
the 730d featuring a 3.0 turbodiesel which returns 39.3mpg. All of the
engines are linked to a six-speed automatic gearbox as standard. The
first chance to see the car in the flesh will be at the Paris Motor
Show in October, with UK sales scheduled to start at the end of the
year.