People with a stack of kids are often committed to people movers when chasing a balance between people hauling and comfortable driving.
But those that want a bit of extra luxury, plus the ability to tow, are kind of limited when it comes to options.
The BMW X7 has always struck that balance between luxury and people-hauling capacity, and will even tow with an optional 3500kg braked towing package.
The X7 has recently undergone a mid-life update that brought fresh technology, and moulded the face into line with other vehicles in the BMW range.
How much does the BMW X7 cost?
Pricing starts at $166,900 before on-road costs for the entry-level xDrive40d and extends to $197,900 before on-road costs for the flagship M60i.
This xDrive40d is $26,000 more expensive than the outgoing xDrive30d, and the M60i is $8000 more expensive than the outgoing M50i.
It’s a big step up in price, but BMW has justified it by adjusting standard equipment levels and overhauling the engine offering with inclusion of mild hybrid technology.
What is the BMW X7 like on the inside?
BMW has gone to town on sharpening the X7’s appeal by throwing the latest tech at the cabin.
As a result, the X7 has gained the latest OS8.0 infotainment system debuted in the i4 and iX electric cars. It combines a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch central touchscreen, with an intelligent personal assistant, a central rotary dial, and touch inputs.
It’s easily one of the best infotainment systems in the business with a high resolution display, snappy response times, and wireless smartphone integration.
Like in the iX, BMW has moved climate controls from physical buttons and switches to touchscreen controls within the infotainment system. It can be fiddly and takes some getting used to, but beyond that the rest of the system is great.
BMW has leant into voice controls nicely with the X7. You can tell the car to do everything from temperature adjustments to opening and closing windows using the voice commands. You can also forward commands from your smartphone for further cloud-centric functions.
Our test car feature the M Sport package, but had a beautiful tan leather BMW Individual colour combination that really took luxury inside to another level – although I could take or leave the high gloss wood finish.
It also had a six seat configuration with two captain’s chairs in the second row, which is probably not the best configuration if your plan is to haul kids around.
Outside of the new technology, the interior is beautifully presented with soft touch materials on every touch point. The subtle LED lighting behind the dash panel and door cards also adds to the night time ambience.
Leg and headroom in the second row are great with a level of adjustments available on seat positioning. There’s even a driver-initiated function that allows the second row of seats to be pulled forwards and upwards to allow easier access to the third row.
Despite being a fairly large vehicle, leg and toe room in the third row isn’t amazing. I was expecting a bit more space for adults there, although I am taller than the average person at around 185cm.
BMW hasn’t released boot capacity figures for the updated X7 either, but the pre-facelift model has 750L of boot space with all the seats upright and 2120L with the second and third row of seats folded down.
What’s under the bonnet?
The 2023 BMW X7 xDrive40d is powered by a 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder turbo-diesel engine with a 48V mild-hybrid system, with total system outputs of 259kW of power and 720Nm of torque.
BMW claims the X7 xDrive40d can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 5.9 seconds.
The range-topping X7 M60i on the other hand uses a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine producing 390kW and 750Nm. It can do the 0-100km/h sprint in a claimed 4.7 seconds.
Both engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission with drive sent to all four wheels through an xDrive all-wheel drive system.
Both models have a 48V mild-hybrid system which comprises a crankshaft-mounted starter generator integrated into the transmission and contributes an additional 9kW and 200Nm.
How does the BMW X7 drive?
Our test car was sitting on gargantuan 23-inch alloy wheels, so I was a little skeptical about how good the ride would be. Even with adaptive damping and air suspension, a 23-inch wheel and a low profile tyre are a hard combination to manage.
Before we get to the ride it’s worth running through the engine and the changes. Even though it looks like just a letter has changed from the outgoing model (going from an xDrive30d to an xDrive40d) BMW has made a number of changes and improvements to the drivetrain.
The first of note is the 48V mild-hybrid system. It exists in the form of a crankshaft-mounted starter generator that’s integrated within the transmission. It offers an additional 9kW of power and 200Nm of torque while the turbocharging system spools.
It also offers one of the smoothest stop/start systems we’ve experienced. It’s able to switch the engine off while the vehicle is still moving to consume less fuel, while also delivering an extra helping of punch when it’s needed.
The combination pumps out 259kW of power and 720Nm of torque, which is an enormous helping from a six-cylinder diesel. It’s so damn smooth as well. That’s partly thanks to an eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission – no dual-clutch setup here.
The only fault I could find is an inability to switch the stop/start system off. BMW has removed the button to meet emissions regulations, but there is a workaround – you can leave the vehicle in Sport Mode, which disables the system.
Acceleration in any gear is excellent with the drivetrain constantly eager to please. It has so much torque across its rev band that it’s hard to find it napping or out of sorts.
What about the ride? Unfortunately, it’s not so good. Even with adaptive damping and air suspension the ride is very busy and overly firm. It never feels settled and you’re constantly getting jolted about as it tries to find its happy place.
It picks up every bump in the road, and around the city it’s too rigid over things like cobblestones and speed humps.
Most of this would be sorted with a smaller wheel. 23-inches feels too big for the comfort level this car should be achieving. This bigger wheel size also brings with it a fair bit of road noise, which again is something you don’t expect from what is meant to be a luxury vehicle.
In the opposite vein the ride firmness helps it dart through corners. Despite its size the X7 feels planted and sure of itself at greater speeds. The brakes feel excellent and the engine’s punchy nature makes it feel sporty – again, despite its size.
BMW claims a fuel economy of 8.0L/100km and after a week with the car over a mix of city and highway driving, we ended up landing on a figure just over 9L/100km, which I thought was pretty decent for a vehicle this size.
Braked towing capacity comes in at 2200kg, but an optional heavy duty tow pack can be fitted which increases the braked towing capacity to 3500kg.
What do you get?
The 2023 BMW X7 xDrive40d comes standard with the following features:
- 22-inch light alloy wheels
- Matrix LED headlights
- Adaptive air suspension
- 14.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Intelligent personal assistant
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- 16-speaker Harman Kardon surround sound system
- Five-zone climate control
- Comfort seats
- BMW Individual Leather Merino upholstery
- Anthracite Alcantara headliner
- Alarm system
The xDrive40d is available in either the M Sport or Design Pure Excellence styling packages, which both have the same $166,900 before on-road costs asking price.
The M Sport package adds the following:
- M front and rear bumper design
- M high-gloss black roof rails, window trims and lower body accents
- M Sport brakes with blue-painted calipers
- 22-inch M light alloy wheels
- M Sport leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Fine wood trim
- Fineline Black interior finisher with high-gloss metal effect
- M-specific pedals
- Access to M-specific exterior paint colours
The Design Pure Excellence package adds the following:
- Satin roof rails and window trims
- Pearl Chrome exterior trim highlights
- Silver underbody guard
- 22-inch grey light alloy wheels
- Sports leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Fine wood trim
- Fineline Stripe interior finisher with high-gloss brown
The flagship X7 M60i adds the following on top of the xDrive40d:
- Black, illuminated BMW kidney grille
- M mirror covers
- M Sport exhaust system
- M Sport differential
- Rear-axle steering
- Active-roll stabilisation
- Ventilated and massaging front seats
- Second row outboard seat heating
- Third row seat heating
- Front row armrest heating
- Heated steering wheel
- Leather instrument panel
- Heated and cooled front cup holders
- M Sport leather steering wheel
- M-specific pedals
- M seat belts
- Fine wood trim
- Fineline Black interior finisher with high-gloss metal effect
In terms of optional equipment, you can sink your teeth into the following:
The Connoisseur Suite package ($10,000 for xDrive40d, $5000 for M60i) adds the following:
- CraftedClarity applications
- Skylounge panoramic glass sunroof
- Privacy glass
- Gesture control
- Ambient air
- Remote engine start (M60i only)
This package also includes the following for the xDrive40d:
- Illuminated BMW kidney grille
- Ventilated and massaging front seats
- Second row outboard seat heating
- Third row seat heating
- Heated steering wheel
- Front row armrest heating
- Temperate cupholders
The $4000 M Sport Pro package available on the xDrive40d adds the following:
- High-gloss black kidney grille with illumination
- M exhaust system
- M Sport brakes with high-gloss black-painted calipers
- M seat belts
There are also a number of other single optional extras available for the 2023 BMW X7 which include the following:
- Six-seat configuration: $1500
- 20-speaker Bowers and Wilkins Diamond surround sound system: $8500
- M Multifunction front seats: $3000 for xDrive40d, $1500 for M60i
- 23-inch Jet Black alloy wheels: $3500
- BMW M Carbon Fibre interior trim: $1700
Is the BMW X7 safe?
The BMW X7 hasn’t been crash tested yet by ANCAP or Euro NCAP.
Standard safety equipment on all 2023 BMW X7 models includes:
- Eight airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with cyclist, pedestrian and junction detection
- Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
- Front and rear cross-traffic alert
- Lane-keep assist
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Lane change assist
- Exit warning function
- Surround-view camera
- Semi-autonomous parking assist
- Reversing and manoeuvre assist (200-metre memory)
- Trailer manoeuvre assist
- Tyre pressure monitoring
- Dash cam
How much does the BMW X7 cost to run?
BMW now offers a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.
Service package pricing for the updated X7 hasn’t been released yet, but the pre-facelift model has a five-year, 80,000km “Service Inclusive Basic” service package available which costs $2800.
CarExpert’s Take on the BMW X7
I was really excited to drive the updated BMW X7. And while it delivered on most fronts, I was ultimately let down by the ride and road noise.
At this price point, this really needs to feel like a comfortable luxury cruiser and with 23-inch wheels it feels anything but.
We’re keen to have another crack in a slightly less optioned X7 that isn’t riding on these wheels to see if it’s any different.
If you’re craving a sporty family hauler, this perfectly fits the bill. But my preference would be what other BMW vehicles offer, which is a comfortable ride most of the time, but the ability to go all out at the push of a button.
With the M Sport configuration and big wheels, this feels a bit much.
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MORE: Everything BMW X7
