BMW 7 Series (G70) review: the chauffeur-spec flagship built for the causeway
4.2/5motorssouq Editorial Team
Buy the 740Li if the back seat matters more than the front: the Executive Lounge package with reclining rear seats and a screen for the passenger is the reason to choose this over a driver-focused 5 Series. The interior's screen-dominated design divides opinion in showrooms, so sit in one before ordering. Resale on the 7 Series has always trailed the S-Class in the GCC, so expect a steeper depreciation curve than the badge suggests.
Pros
- Executive Lounge rear seat package is a genuine luxury-limousine experience
- 381 hp inline-six is smooth and more than adequate for the class
- Air suspension handles Manama's transition strips and speed bumps well
- Long-wheelbase 740Li gives rear passengers S-Class-rivalling space
Cons
- Divisive exterior and screen-heavy interior design polarise buyers
- Depreciation has historically outpaced the S-Class in the GCC
- Servicing is BMW's most expensive tier with fewer independent specialists
- Not a car bought to be driven; a 5 Series does that job better and cheaper
The G70 is the most divisive 7 Series BMW has built. Outside, the vertical kidney grille and split headlights are a hard sell next to a Mercedes S-Class's restraint; inside, a curved display and a crystal-look gear selector chase a tech-forward statement the previous generation never attempted. Whichever side of that you land on, the long-wheelbase 740Li sold in the Gulf is unambiguously about the rear seat.
The back seat is the point
The Executive Lounge package turns the right-rear seat into the one that matters: it reclines, has its own touchscreen, and the sunshade and ambient lighting are tuned for someone being driven rather than driving. On the smooth stretches of the highways ringing the island, the ride is genuinely serene; the transition strips and speed bumps common on residential Manama streets are where the air suspension earns its keep.
Running one in Bahrain
The 381 hp inline-six is more than adequate; this is not a car bought for outright pace, and it returns reasonable economy for the class given the 45 degree-defying air conditioning demands. Servicing is BMW's most expensive tier, and independent specialists are thinner on the ground for 7 Series electronics than for a 3 or 5 Series, so budget for dealer service through the warranty period at minimum.
Depreciation is the honest warning: a 7 Series in the GCC has consistently lost value faster than the equivalent S-Class, driven by lower resale demand rather than any mechanical shortcoming. Buy one to use, not to hold.