Brand new BMW X7 aims to redefine luxury

New Launches 

All credit to BMW for making their badging nice and simple. Want a chunky, off-road 3-Series? That will be the X3. Fancy the added poise of a 5-Series? You obviously need an X5.

With that in mind have a guess where the brand new BMW X7 sits in the line up?

Correct, the BMW X7 is the latest luxury SUV to drive over the mountain rather than around it and the flagship off-road model to sit alongside the limousine-esque 7-Series saloon. It's big, it's bold, and it's aimed squarely at the likes of the Mercedes GLS and, dare we say it, the Range Rover.

At 5.1m long and 2m wide the BMW X7 is as monumentally imposing as either of them and also shares the same levels of luxury and technology in equal measure. It is the largest model in the BMW X line-up and combines the latest engine and chassis technology with practicality and versatility. If you're in the market for a high-end, top-of-the-range SUV the choice just got a little harder.

From the outside it's all straight lines that disappear over the horizon and a front end that wouldn't look out of place outside Lady Penelope's house. Thanks to a judicious use of chrome trim it manages to combine elegance and ruggedness without being too fussy and confusing, but there's no getting away from the fact that the new X7 is a sizeable mode of transport. A city car it isn't, but you could probably squeeze a couple of them inside it.



The interior of the BMW X7 features a newly designed display grouping that comes as part of the standard-fitted BMW Live Cockpit Professional and includes a Control Display and a fully-digital instrument cluster, each with a 12.3" screen. The iDrive Controller, the newly designed gear selector, start/stop button, the Driving Experience Control switch controls, electric parking brake button and the settings for the air suspension and optional off-road modes are all located in the centre console.

If that's not enough the new X7 also boasts heated seats - all three rows, not just the front, a panoramic roof with optional LED lighting that can replicate the stars, four-zone climate control, 10-speaker multimedia system, and enough leather to keep an entire herd of cows extremely nervous. Start fiddling with the options list and the possibilities are immense. BMW describe it as "Luxury without limits" and with the exception of any budgetary restraints they may have a point.

The initial engine line-up includes a newly developed six-cylinder in-line petrol unit for the BMW X7 xDrive40i and a pair of six-cylinder in-line diesels to power the BMW X7 xDrive30d and BMW X7 M50d M Performance models. Both petrol and diesel units are turbocharged and attached to an eight-speed Steptronic transmission which can reduce engine speeds and help to increase overall efficiency. Given the current direction the automotive industry is moving in there's an excellent chance that a hybrid version will appear in the future too.



For a car that will be taking on some seriously impressive rivals it won't come as a surprise to hear that the new BMW X7 will carry a premium price tag when it goes on sale in April. BMW is quoting a starting price of £72,155 for the entry-level model. The BMW X7 will sit comfortably alongside those rivals in terms of price, performance, and luxury. Fiddling with the options list could conceivably push this figure beyond the £100k mark.

And as we all know, if you plan on driving a hundred grand car then the best course of action is without doubt a lease. Which is exactly where we come in and why you should give us a call to discuss your options sooner rather than later.

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