The new 2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 happens to be hybrid car that bears little resemblance to a Toyota Prius or other similar hybrids. Whenever you primarily think of hybrid, you think fuel performance, but the BMW hybrid is nowhere near as efficient as most hybrids. The 2011 ActiveHybrid 7 is the most fuel-efficient of the 7-series model, but its power steering is shut down by the idle stop feature, and it doesn’t work well in stop-and-go traffic. It can do a good job of incorporating raw car power with the fuel efficiency of hybrid technology but there are numerous quirks that get in the way.

Most hybrids have a smaller gas engine since the car is also being powered by the electric motor but this is not true for the BMW ActiveHybrid 7. BMW made a decision to make use of the extra power produced by the electric motor to make the car go even faster instead of using it to reduce fuel consumption. The 2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 contains a double turbo direct-injection 4.4-liter V-8 engine which is the same as the basic BMW 750i Unlike the BMW 750i, the ActiveHybrid 7 contains a 120-volt lithium ion battery supply. This makes the gasoline economy of the ActiveHybrid 7 better than the 750i, and with a lot more horsepower also. This generally provides more than BMW 525i series.

A lot of hybrids are able to switch to all-electric mode even so the ActiveHybrid 7 does not do that. It is similar to the Integrated Motor Assist System of the Honda, where it offers boost when it is speeding up, and when it stops it lets the engine shut down. If driving, you will have no idea that it is a hybrid barring when you see a blue are in the fuel monitor to show that electricity is being regenerated. If the car stops at a traffic light, you will know that it is a hybrid, by the engine going noiseless and the tach needle drops to zero. In spite of the proportions of the engine, the vehicle starts up very smoothly when you take the foot off the brake pedal.

While the idle stop system works well at a long stoplight, it won’t do so well in stop-and-go traffic. The vehicle will have a tendency to shut down for 5 seconds at a time which can end up getting irritating after awhile. The performance of the vehicle may also take some getting used to because it is likely to lunge forward even with a slight tap on the accelerator. This does not appear to be a very eco-friendly car but the intent behind this hybrid is to add power more than improve fuel efficiency.

Fuel performance is pretty relative when you compare it to other hybrids where it is more efficient than other BMW 7 series models but it get 20 miles per gallon. Not bad for the luxury vehicle it is, but nothing exceptional for a hybrid. Most expect we can discover ActiveHybrid in BMW 525i as well as alternative BMW wagon in the near future?