BMW 735i Pure Excellence Review: A More Light-Handed Way
This ICE-powered 7 Series is the best one to drive among the range offered in Singapore at this moment.
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After the i7, the 735i may seem a little obsolete. And starting up the ICE engine for the first time, it felt a little archaic, especially when everything else feels so high-tech and digital, just like in the i7.
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However, time with the car revealed the benefits of the ICE drivetrain, which gives the 735i a significantly different driving experience.
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For one, it’s nice to hear a straight six under the bonnet. It just clicks with the brain synapses that this is one of the core memories of driving a BMW. While 272 hp and 400 Nm might not sound like much next to the i7, it’s plentiful for the 735i which weighs 565 kg less. It does 0-100 km/h in a very reasonable 6.7 seconds; it actually feels more natural, less nauseating and more predictable to wrap one’s head around. The B58 being a lovely engine to stretch, it’s all the better that I can hear it sing without having to break any speed limits.
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And although the i7 is not at risk of having a jerky gearbox (because it has only a single gear), the 735i is blessed with a terrific eight-speed auto transmission that’s probably the best in its segment. It shifts imperceptibly and responds telepathically to the driver’s input.
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Dynamically, the 735i is just better than the i7. With a whole lot less weight to be concerned about, the car is happier to hustle down a good road, and taxes its brakes and suspension a lot less too. To top it off, it’s rear-wheel drive, as opposed to the all-wheel drive i7, so there’s that nice FR balance. It feels closer to what I remember a BMW to be, but the 735i does have the same light steering which doesn’t inspire much confidence.
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This 735i press car is specified with the Gran Lusso package, which comes with a Sky Lounge panoramic glass roof, front and rear massage seats and an alcantara headliner, among other things. Separately it also comes with dual-tone paintwork, optional on all 7-Series variants. Fellow writer Joel doesn’t like it, but in my mind, if you are already standing out with the new 7-Series, you might as well go the whole way!
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Interestingly, the 735i is not offered in Europe, so we’re getting an European car that’d never be sold there. It’s fortunate for people here who’d be behind the wheel of their 7-Series that we get the 735i, because it’s the better car to drive than its electric peer.
Photos by Horizon Drivers' Club
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