BMW's 7 Series is all-new for 2016; the formerly yawn-worthy land yacht got a much needed boost of luxury. We got up close with the new 7 Series at the 2015 BMW Championship golf tournament in Lake Forest, Ill., where BMW showed off its new flagship sedan.
Related: 2016 BMW 7 Series: First Look
The interior is much softer for BMW, exchanging some of its cold, simple interior styling for a cabin with significantly higher-quality materials. It features a mix of wood and aluminum trim, plush leather upholstery and fine contrast stitching throughout. Like the S-Class, it gives off a boutique automaker vibe with obvious attention given to even the smallest details.
2016 BMW 7 Series; Cars.com photos by Joe Bruzek
We played with a few of the 7 Series' newest systems that will surely impress techies and those looking for wow-worthy features. BMW's new gesture control reads like a gimmick; the automaker says hand motions can control stereo volume or answer and end phone calls. Here's the wild part: It works. Granted, we were at a static car display, but using gesture control to circle your finger and turn up the volume worked surprisingly well. I can see the feature being useful with the programmable option where a gesture triggers a navigation destination, rather than having to stop or navigate through a series of menus to do the same.
2016 BMW 7 Series; Cars.com photos by Joe Bruzek
You could have fooled me into thinking the 7 Series' optional Display Key was a new smartphone instead of the 7 Series' key fob. BMW's optional Display Key is big but lightweight with a digital screen to show lock functions, vehicle information like fuel range, service schedules and it activates the 7 Series' self-parking feature that automatically parks the car in the garage while the driver stands outside.
2016 BMW 7 Series; Cars.com photos by Joe Bruzek
In back, the innovation continues with a removable Touch Command 7-inch tablet integrated into the rear center console. In addition to web browsing, the tablet controls the car's entertainment systems, ambient lighting, sunshades, seating and more. Media is selectable through the tablet and playable through the dual rear 10-inch screens.
2016 BMW 7 Series; Cars.com photos by Joe Bruzek
Screens are plentiful in the cabin, but perhaps most notable is the new iDrive 5.0 with a familiar-size center display screen up front, though this guy is filled with much more functionality and accessibility than other BMW media screens. The big display is now a touch-screen and teams with gesture control; when you reach to the screen, the display changes to a keyboard for entering navigation addresses.
2016 BMW 7 Series; Cars.com photos by Joe Bruzek
The rest of the 7 Series sees big changes, like the carbon-fiber reinforced plastic passenger cell, but it's the stunning and innovative interior that will make this car a more formidable competitor to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Jaguar XJ and Audi A8.
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