Diesel-powered BMW 7 Series headed to U.S.

According to a report in Car and Driver, the refreshed 2013 BMW 7 Series will be offered with diesel power here in the Untied States. The flagship BMW will be powered by the same 3.0-liter turbo-diesel inline-six that's found elsewhere in the Roundel lineup, though as of this moment, it's still unclear what sort of power or fuel economy figures are expected in the 7 Series. Expect the production model to wear either 735d or 740d nomenclature.

For reference, the BMW X5 xDrive35d with this same engine produces 265 horsepower and 425 pound-feet of torque. The all-wheel-drive X5 crossover is able to achieve up to 26 miles per gallon when equipped with the 3.0-liter diesel engine. The 7 Series is indeed a big boy, but we expect it to achieve better fuel economy numbers than the X5.

Car and Driver says that the diesel 7 Series should arrive in about one year's time, where it will compete against the Mercedes-Benz S350 Bluetec and Audi A8 3.0 TDI for diesel-powered luxury supremacy. The rest of the updated 2013 7 Series range goes on sale this summer.