7 SERIES HYBRID

The new hybrid limo will do battle against the likes of Mercedes-Benz's S400 and Lexus' LS 600hL.

Hybrid drive systems are finally making solid inroads into the upper strata of the luxury sedan segment, with BMW's 7-series hybrid set to join the Mercedes-Benz S400 and Lexus LS 600hL later this year.

The new 7-series hybrid was previewed as a concept at last year's Paris Motor Show, but today we have new spy photos of the car completely free of disguise.

Mercedes released the first details for its S400 BlueHYBRID late last year, and confirmed the car for a mid-2009 launch date, putting it a half-step ahead of the 7-series, as the production 7-series hybrid is expected to go on sale late this year or in early 2010 after a debut in Frankfurt in September.

While Mercedes’ S400 BlueHYBRID features an electric drive system mated to a 3.5L V6 powerplant, BMW’s new Concept 7-Series ActiveHybrid is based around the 4.4L V8 750i model.

The concept car features the standard 407hp (303kW) and 442lb-ft (600Nm) V8 powerplant mated to a 20hp (15kW) and 155lb-ft (210Nm) electric motor.

Other standard hybrid features, such as regenerative braking, automatic stop-start and optimized aerodynamics, are also present on the 7-series ActiveHybrid concept, and are expected to show on the final car as well.

Compared with the non-hybrid model, the new ActiveHybrid is said to improve fuel-economy by up to 15%.