A ‘vitality’ programme
While the massage function for passenger comfort has become common in luxury cars, the BMW 7 Series offers something extra in the form of an exercise programme for passengers designed to “revitalise the body on longer journeys”. Called ‘Vitality Program’ by BMW, the on-the-go fitness package leads passengers on a workout via the rear screens and initiates stretching exercises on both upper and lower body. Great for those who believe even exercise must be a luxury affair.
Purified fragranced air
The S-Class has always been a pioneer in automobile technology, often premièring cutting-edge features that go on to become mainstream. The luxury limo by Mercedes was the first to introduce an active perfuming system. Mercedes calls it the Air Balance Package, which includes a built-in fragrance atomiser and four colognes (in addition to four-zone climate control). Located in the glove box, the system’s intensity can be controlled by the driver. The perfumed air passes into the cabin of the car through the A/C vents in five-minute intervals. In addition, there’s oxygen ionisation and filtering, useful for smoggy cities.
The night sky
Making its début on the Phantom in 2007, the Starlight headliner has gone on to become one of the best-liked features offered by Rolls-Royce. The marque’s master craftsmen weave thousands of delicate optic fibre strands in the headliner in the form of constellations that are unique to the owner. It takes more than 17 hours to create the Starlight headliner in a personalised pattern. The subtle glow of the stars creates a soothing, relaxing zone inside the cabin and the brightness can be adjusted to suit the mood.
A touch-command tablet
One of the most high-tech features introduced in the sixth-generation BMW 7 Series is a removable 7-inch Samsung tablet, which is perfectly tailored to the needs of the passengers in the rear. The tablet is connected to the car using WiFi, and can be used as a control console for both infotainment and the comfort functions, including the temperature, massage function and even mood lighting. It slots into a crash-proof console built into the armrest between the rear seats, which also recharges the device when slotted in.
Reclining rear seats
On the stretched ‘L’ variant of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the German automaker offers two individual reclining rear seats, along with the ‘Rear Seat Reclining Package’, which electronically folds the front passenger seat out of the way. The backrest can be adjusted from 37 degrees, up to an angle of 43.5 degrees. This creates enough legroom and space for the passenger to be chauffeured around in absolute comfort, equivalent to the best first-class cabins from the airline industry. In fact, Emirates’ newly updated first-class cabin is inspired by the interior of the S-Class.
