Without any immediately pending motor shows anywhere, BMW makes available the official details of the fifth generation BMW 7 Series with which BMW is hoping to maintain a strong hold in the full-size luxury car market.

The 2009 7 Series will be offered in 3 engine variants - one diesel and two gasoline engines - for the three trim levels. The 730d (d is for diesel), features a 3.0L capable of 245 hp propelling the car from 0-60 in a respectable 7.2 seconds though the more interesting thing is that it gets 39.2 miles to the gallon.

The gas-powered ones, the 730i and 730Li get a choice between a 4.4L twin-turbo V8 engine (capable of 407 hp) and a twin-turbo 3.0L engine (dishing out 326 hp). The latter gets more decent mileage on the gallon compared to the former. 0-60 times are accomplished in sub-six seconds for both, making the 3.0L engine a more attractive buy for those looking for cheaper purchase and operating costs.

Being the luxury line, the 7 Series are equipped with all the bells and whistles that a luxury car should. All cars come with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Panels are made from aluminum for lightweightedness. It also comes with a whole-lot of driver assist systems like the Side View camera system, Park Distance Control, Night Vision system, Lane Change Warning combined with Lane Departure Warning system, Head-up Display and Lane Departure Warning system and Integral Active Steering. This is aside from the control systems for braking and stability.

With stiff competition from other luxury lines (and with the emergence of the budget luxury car that is the Hyundai Genesis), these new offerings for their luxury line should enable BMW to maintain its hold in the market. Pricing will only be available later this year but we sure hope that it’s competitive enough.