The 2009 BMW 7 Series sees a lot of upgrades this year, including a new, more powerful and more efficient engine, a small weight loss, new lines, and BMW’s new Driving Dynamics Control system. This full-size luxury sedan seats five and delivers power to the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.

The new engine, a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, is more powerful, more efficient, and smaller than the base V8 from previous years. With 400 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque that make an appearance at 1,800 rpm, it will push the 4,500-pound vehicle past 60 mph in just over 5 seconds.

Driving Dynamics Control shows up this year, a system that adjusts suspension, steering, transmission, and driving assists depending on four user-selected settings - Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Sport+. This system includes Integral Active Steering, which allows three degrees of steering input from the rear wheels, as well as Electronic Differential Lock Control, BMW’s mechanical limited-slip system.

Comfort is as much a priority as performance in this, the flagship of the German automaker’s fleet. Seats and suspension both provide any of a number of combinations of performance/support and comfort, with more than enough of both for long trips. The styling refresh sees a new front end, with an integrated bumper that pulls the visual weight downward, for a more grounded appearance.

Also new for 2009 are a blind-spot alert, a lane-departure warning, a heads-up display, sideview and rearview cameras, high beams that automatically dim when oncoming traffic is detected, and a 40GB hard drive for the audio and navigation systems. Available safety features include ABS, traction control, an anti-skid system, front side, curtain side, and knee airbags, as well as a standard navigation and new version of the much-maligned iDrive system that has been praised for its upgrades.