BMW's first ever seven-seater takes the company's X-series design philosophy and expands them to accommodate three rows of seats and a host of high-end technology. And it commands quite a bit of road presence too with its 3105mm wheelbase, which makes it even larger than the Land Rover Discovery and the Mercedes-Benz GLS.
After showcasing its flagship SUV, the X7, at the 2018 LA Auto Show, BMW is now gearing up to launch it here in India. The seven-seater 'SAV' was recently spied wearing a light camouflage somewhere near Chennai. Hence, it's highly likely that it could be launched in early January.
At the front, there's a taller and more square-shaped rendition of BMW's iconic kidney grille. Accompanying it are sleek LED headlamps which come standard across all variants. The rear houses sleek LED tail lights and a split tailgate for easier access to the boot.
Unlike the X5, the upcoming X7 is a proper people hauler. It even comes with the option of captain seats or a bench for the middle row. What's more, all seats get armrests, cup holders, USB ports and electric adjustability. Quite impressive, eh?
Creature comforts include four-zone automatic climate control, ambient lighting and a panoramic glass roof as standard. Splash some cash and you can get five-zone automatic climate control, ambient air package, and panorama glass roof sky lounge, glass covered controls, a Bowers & Wilkins diamond surround sound system and rear-seat entertainment package. Not to forget, all this comes with a large 12.3-inch twin screen panels at the front.
The BMW X7 is offered with four different engine options – two types of diesel (M50d & xDrive 30d) and two petrol (xDrive 40i and xDrive 50i). While the inline-six petrol churns out 335PS of power, the 4.4-liter turbocharged twin-turbo V8 makes 456PS.
Among the diesel offering, the 3.0-liter motor makes 256PS of power while its gruntier sibling makes 400PS. The above-mentioned powertrains come mated to the 8-speed automatic transmission, with all-wheel drive as standard.
As mentioned earlier, we expect BMW to bring the X7 in January 2019. Considering the overall package, don't be surprised to see it cross the Rs 1 crores mark. When launched, it'll go up against the Land Rover Discovery, Mercedes GLS, and the Volvo XC90
