Giant BMW X7 Gets Mean New Look, More, Cleaner Power & Tech
BMW has treated its SUV flagship to an extreme renovation. It appears to usher in a new design language for the Bavarian carmaker’s premium offerings. X7 has come under the knife three years into its lifecycle. Changes go well beyond the usual headlamp and and grille nip and tuck, while he big SUV appears to preview design details of the forthcoming all-new 7 Series. It also sets itself apart from kid brother X5.
Will New Look Divide Opinion Again?
The new X7 gets ‘squeezed’ daytime running lights and indicator units separated from its headlamps. That more somber new look is perhaps reminiscent of some French, Italian and Koran solutions of late. The adaptive matrix LED main headlights grouped in a separate housing below, are hardly visible during the day. BMW reckons this new face ensures a larger degree of ‘overtaking prestige’.
Those re-imagined headlights come in tandem with sharper edges and smaller bumper grills for a less jagged, perhaps more tech look. The good old BMW kidney grille appears to lose its 3D look for a new seven strut solution that now gets optional ‘Iconic Glow’ LED lighting. Its chromed on the sixes and blackened on the V8 model. Rear end modifications are limited to new taillight treatment and more visual underride protection.
The X7 has not escaped thee tech scalpel either. The most striking innovation is a new large 14.9-inch curved diagonal central infotainment display, in tandem with fully digital low-glare 12.3-inch instruments in a self-contained uni. All that is run by BMW’s latest OS 8 operating system. The old automatic shifter is also replaced by a small rocker switch flanked by rotary pushbutton iDrive controller. Extended standard features now also stretch to comfort access, heated comfort front seats in and a panoramic glass roof
X7 Gets More Power, Better Efficiency
X7 Driver Assistance systems include front collision warning with a hazard detection system to detect if cyclists and pedestrians approach parallel to the road. When turning left, the system recognises any oncoming traffic and can also prevent turning if there is a risk of a collision by braking. The optional Driving Assistant Professional has also been expanded with traffic light recognition and a motorway merging assistant
All three X7 re-launch engines feature mild hybrid technology. Thanks to its new new eight-speed Steptronic transmission gaining an integrated electric motor. It boosts propulsion by as much as 200 Nm torque and 9 kW. That also give X7 the ability to drive short distances under purely electric power. That is in addition to the car’s regular combustion engines. Currently X& has a choice of two three-lie straight sixes in the X7 xDrive40i and xDrive40d. And the 4.4-liter biturbo V8 M60i
The turbo petrol xDrive40i six gains 35 kilowatts. To now muster a hearty 280 kW, while twist is up 70 Nm higher at 520 Nm. So zero-hundred time drops by 0.5 to 5.8 seconds. The 260 kW turbodiesel xDrive40d now rushes to 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds. The 395 kW 750 Nm X7 M60i rushes to 100 in 4.7 seconds. Expect X7 to go on sale in the third quarter of 2022.