During the past several years, the Mercedes S-Class was the luxury sedan to beat. The flagship by Mercedes offered looks, power, luxury, comfort and technology inside.
But the new 2016 BMW 7 Series looks to finally get over the hump and be the rival that Mercedes deserves. In the past, the BMW 7 Series offered everything that Mercedes does, but without the technology and safety features of the S-Class.
Before we go into what makes the 2016 BMW 7 Series competent rival, we must mention that the Mercedes S-Class was lastly updated in 2013. The S-Class is due for freshening in 2016 or 2017, but for now, it looks like BMW has the flagship to beat.
The lineup of the Mercedes S-Class includes a base model producing 455hp with V8 engine, but also powertrains with V12 engine and more than 500 ponies under the hood. And while BMW has yet to announce a hybrid version of the 7 Series, Mercedes already has few plug-in hybrids in the range for the S-Class. However, we are talking about the technological aspect here and here is what separates the 2016 BMW 7 Series from the field.
Gesture Control
The highlight of the technology inside the new 7 Series is the gesture control feature. The goal is to help the driver control his vehicle while focusing on the road. At the moment, gesture control has five basic functions, including accepting and rejecting phone calls, raising and lowering volume and a 360 degree view of the vehicle. All commands are simple. For example, pointing towards the screen accepts a phone call, while a swiping movement rejects the call. Rotating your finger lowers or increases the volume. Pinch and move is the command for a 360-degree car view. The 360-degree view or also called 3D view camera is made possible by multiple sensors and cameras. With gestures, the driver can actually see every look around his car. The system can also provide the driver with real-time rendering images of the environment around the car.
Touch Command Tablet
Another handy tech goodie in the 2016 BMW 7 Series is the introduction of bespoke tablet. This option is only available for the Luxury Rear Seating package, designed especially for business class drive experience. The tablet can be used by voice commands and control the audio system, mood lighting, sunroof, internet connectivity and much more.
Exercise and vitality program
We still do not know who will use this option, but it’s nice to have it. Thinking about the health and wellbeing of its passengers, the command tablet of the rear seats includes a vitality program that can transform the 2016 7 Series into a personal gym. This option is available with the “Rear executive lounge seating package” option, which guides the passenger through several isometric exercises that help people improve their health and stature. The exercises are presented on a large, 10 inch entertainment touchscreen display. All the exercises can be performed in the car.
NFC Technology
Apple made a huge breakthrough last year by introducing NFC technology as part of the iPhone 6. Now, car makers are trying to catch up and BMW is the first one to install NFC technology into the new 2016 7 Series. With a simple click and tap, you can connect your device to the car.
