BMW 730Ld M Sport, the holy grail of technology

Is this BMW 730Ld M Sport the holy grail of technology, I asked myself as I stepped into the uber cabin of the car? As I took the driver's seat the infotainment screen displayed the message "Welcome Joshua". That was just the beginning. An arsenal of hi-tech features lay in wait to be discovered by me and I was as curious and excited as a little boy when he steps into a toy shop for the first time in his life.

If you truly want to find out what it means to be sitting in the lap of luxury go take a ride in the swanky BMW 730Ld M Sport. Apart from the fact that BMW has given the new 7 series sharper looks with a more aggressive overall design, they have also added some industry leading tech features to deliver never-like-before convenience and comfort. For instance with one push of a button the rear seat will recline and co-driver's seat folds in to make for a very relaxing position to cruise around town in. If that's not all, the very same seats will give you a massage. No, not like the ones you get in a spa but they are quite relaxing.

BMW has even tailored in an array of in cabin lighting to truly create a rich, futuristic and trend setting appeal in the cabin. You even get the option of setting the lights to suit your mood by selecting through and array of different colours and intensities. While outside temperatures were soaring around the 44 degree Celsius mark I was pretty comfy inside thanks to a 4 zone air conditioning set up. Despite having leather upholstery the ventilated seat backs available on the BMW 730Ld will ensure overall comfort. BMW has also neatly incorporated an Android based 7 inch tablet, placed in the rear centre console. This tablet allows the rear seat occupants to control the many in-cabin functions being offered on this new 7-Series. From the seat massage function to changing the cabin temperature or the ambient lighting, it can all be controlled by the passenger via this tab which can also be released and held in your palm.

In fact the level of convenience which BMW is offering on the new 7-Series is unparalleled. Even blinds for privacy are motorised and open or close at just the touch of a button. This heady concoction of technology already had me feeling woozy but there was so much more to explore and the list seemed to be endless. BMW has also added a choice of Ambient Fragrances which can be selected by the passenger through the tab interface or by the driver.

Come to think of it, the people at BMW have managed to seamlessly integrate technology with the overall functionality of this saloon. It all comes together neatly with sublime ergonomics and ease of operation. Like a cherry on the cake, the German auto giant has also integrated gesture controls which allows the driver to control different functions and shortcuts of the infotainment setup using hand gestures. So to turn the volume up or down all I needed to do was make a hand gesture of rotating a knob clockwise or counterclockwise respectively. All of this technology bundled together so well in my book would simply be a benchmark to work up towards by the rest of the world.

This saloon is powered by a 2993cc, 6 cylinder diesel engine which turns 265hp at 4000rpm and whips up a beefy 620Nm of torque from 2000-2500rpm. The engine has been mated to an 8-Speed Steptronic Sport Automatic Transmission. To drive this 7-Series feels powerful and sporty. It can accelerate from standstill to a 100kmph in just 6.2 seconds. While it does appear to be graceful and elegant let not its looks deceive you, the 7-Series M Sport is devilishly quick and agile. It also gets a host of handy driver aides like Corner Braking Control, Dynamic Stability Control and Dynamic Traction Control all of which make the saloon a lot safer and easier to drive.