BMW 7 Series Gains Level 3 Semi-Autonomous Driving Abilities In Germany

New BMW Personal Pilot L3 not lets drivers fully hand over driving duties to the 7 Series, albeit under conditions that allow.

BMW Group has officially begun offering the latest seventh generation (G70) BMW 7 Series in Germany with the option to equip it with Level 3 semi-autonomous driving tech.

Called BMW Personal Personal Pilot L3,  the automaker now join rivals Mercedes-Benz in offering this ability to customers in the European (EU) marketspace. Unlike Level 2, which still requires drivers to pay attention to the road still, Level 3 semi-autonomy effectively lets drivers fully hand-over driving duties to the car.

However, there are still certain limitations in place for this this to work. In the case of BMW’s tech, the system only works up to speeds no greater than 60 KM/H. Furthermore, it’s designed to only work on selected motorways with carriageways separated by a physical barrier.

BMW Personal Pilot L3 is designed to only work up to speeds of 60 KM/H, and only on selected motorways with carriageways separated by a physical barrier.

Whilst not a 100% full-self-driving (FSD) system as what Tesla boasts, the BMW Personal Pilot L3 system does let drivers let go of driving controls and perhaps check and catch up on emails, or even watch a movie streamed via the car’s built-in infotainment display screen.

Moreover, BMW’s Level 3 semi-autonomous driving tech trumps a similar system offered by rivals Mercedes-Benz by having the ability to work in the dark too. This is perhaps prove nifty for the discerning executive who frequently commutes in the dark during winter.

Customers opting to equip their 7 Series with BMW Personal Pilot L3 sees their cars donning a different kidney grille design to accommodate the additional sensors, radar and lidar.

Beyond this, customers who tick on this cost-option tech for the 7 Series need only to live with the fact that the fitment of additional ultrasonic sensors, radar, and 3D lidar to enable it also sees the 7 Series donning kidney grilles with a different and perhaps less than appealing design.

Costing an additional €6,000 (approx. RM30,170), BMW will offer this optional tech for the 7 Series customers in Germany starting next month. Roll-out into other EU markets and the  UK follows which starting early next year.

Beyond which, the availability of this tech in other markets such as ours remains to be seen still. Locally, the G70-gen 7 Series offered in locally assembled (CKD) 750e xDrive M Sport priced at RM699,800, or fully imported (CBU) and all-electric i7 xDrive60 M Sport priced at RM729,800.