Almost exactly 20 years after BMW introduced the BMW X5 E53, the German brand has now unveiled its grandest SUV to date: the X7.
BMW First ever X7
As you can see from the images, the X7 makes quite an elegant statement. Measuring in at over five metres long and two metres wide, the X7 utilises strong traditional design cues to create a car that has presence but not in a crude sort of way. Every X7 will come as standard with a split rear tailgate and 20-inch alloys. With so much space on the inside, the X7 is obviously a seven seater but the layout options are amazing. The third row consists of two full-size seats (complete with armrests, cupholders and USB ports), while the second row can be either a three-seat bench, or two individual comfort seats. All seats adjust electronically, which means the boot space can be increased from 326 litres to a maximum of 2 120 litres.
The 2019 BMW X7 G07 comes as standard with Vernasca leather trim, four-zone automatic climate control, a three-section panoramic glass roof and ambient lighting, including the welcome light carpet and dynamic interior light. Among the highlights on the options list are five-zone automatic climate control, the ambient air package, the panorama glass roof sky lounge, controls with glass applications, the Bowers & Wilkins diamond surround sound system and the rear-seat entertainment professional system.
The initial line-up of engines consists of the 340kW petrol V8 in the xDrive50i, the six-cylinder turbocharged petrol xDrive40i with 250kW and the xDrive30d turbodiesel that develops a healthy 195kW.
There will also be an xDrive50d, which develops just Munder 300kW. Not bad for a diesel engine. All the engines are mated to an eight-speed steptronic transmission, while the task of transferring their power onto either asphalt or loose terrain falls to the BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel-drive system, complete with optimised efficiency and rear-biased set-up. The BMW X7 boasts a wealth of chassis technology as standard, including adaptive suspension with electronically controlled dampers, and air springs at both axles.
The vehicle’s ground clearance can be varied by up to 80mm at the press of a button. An off-road package is available for all model variants aside from the BMW X7 M50d. This package includes an extra button for choosing between four driving modes: xS and, xGravel, xRocks and xSnow. The BMW Live Cockpit Professional fitted as standard in the BMW X7 comprises a fully digital instrument cluster and a control display, each of which have a screen diagonal of 12.3 inches. The X7 will be introduced locally in March next year.
