BMW has taken the covers off its next Range Rover and Mercedes GLS rival, X7 SUV ahead of its official reveal in Britain next year. The gigantic outline of the SUV might tell us a lot about the company's plans of heading in the direction of changing market trends.
Measuring 5151mm long, 2218mm wide and 1805mm tall, the X7 stands as the largest SUV in the Bavarian automaker's line-up till date. It is also BMW's heaviest creation weighing over 2.4 tonnes in its lightest variant.
The new SUV will be available in two types of diesel and a petrol engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The base variant of the new SUV will be the xDrive30d which will be powered by a 3.0-litre straight six turbodiesel engine producing 262bhp of power.
Seated above it will be the xDrive40i, which will carry a turbocharged six-cylinder petrol engine capable of putting out 335bhp of power. Above it will be the M50d top variant with an engine that is co-developed with the company's M-division. It carries a six-cylinder engine that produces 395bhp of power.
Outside Europe, the SUV will also be offered with an xDrive50i moniker that would carry a V8 engine with 456bhp on tap. The company has not conveyed any thoughts on a possible hybrid version of the SUV. However, the CLAR platform that underpins the giant is adapted from the X5 and can accommodate a plug-in hybrid powertrain as well.
Inside the cabin, the X7 inherits the basic look from the X5 and the reborn 8-series coupe. However, the selection of metal wood trims, ambient lighting strips as well as the crystalline gear selector makes it stand different from the others.
The X7 features a boot capacity of 326 litres with all the seats upright. However, folding the third row will give one an additional 401 litres.
The introduction of X7 holds great value for the German auto giant which has been victorious in the SUV segment since two decades of market presence. “Since a seven is in the name, it has to live up to the heritage of the 7 Series and have the same luxury feeling. This was our big target,” said Product Manager for the X7, Nina McFadden.
