You can't travel more luxuriously and practically at the same time than in the X7 with BMW. The people of Munich have now given their useful flagship an extensive facelift. Reason enough for ntv.de to do an extensive round.
Automakers often tend to describe refreshed models as new. You might not be able to go that far with the X7, but the engineers gave the 5.18 meter liner more than a new coat of paint, just to stay in the image of the renovation. The new front with significantly narrower headlights and - very fancy - illuminated kidney is particularly striking. Time will tell whether the further developed family face is popular, but it certainly isn't boring.
Let's see what surprises the interior offers. Immediately after boarding, the chic "Curved Display" literally jumps at the passengers, on which the new "Operating System 8" is running. This modernized operating system can now be found in almost every popular BMW model. Fans of classic instrumentation may not be completely happy about this (although they weren't with the previous generation of instrument clusters, just marginally), but now you can at least touch through the topics intuitively. In this way, the desired functions can be found quickly, from adjusting the driving assistance to activating the navigation, but for a change you can also try voice control.
There are a few subtle differences between the series, however - the X7 offers its driving modes via a specific push button, which is nice, while newer models are allowed to choose accordingly on the screen after calling up the "My Modes" menu. Anyway, there are other things to admire in the X7, which costs at least 97,700 euros. As if there were: the truly impressive amount of space. You can think what you want about SUVs, like them or hate them - but they are the only way to travel in luxury without having to forego maximum practicality. With a trunk volume of 2120 liters, even a five-seater has to fit as a touring car and the human cargo doesn't fit as airily in it either.
And then there's the supple chassis with the now standard air suspension. The handling remains the same regardless of the load. And the feature of the height adjustment, with which you can play wonderfully at the traffic light (raise the X7 up and down with a switch), may even have one or the other helpful component. There are said to be European countries where you have to overcome quite a few pothole passages, so a little more ground clearance isn't so bad. Anyone who is already ready to think about the choice of engine can rest assured: there is still a diesel in Germany. Namely a mild hybridized six-cylinder variant with tight 352 hp.
However, this is not yet available for the first test drives, and so the completely revised six-cylinder petrol engine is primarily driven, which, however, will also find its fans in this country in view of the rising diesel prices. And anyone who talks to Emanuel Nicolardi, the engineer responsible for the powertrain, quickly realizes that it wasn't just a little bit of cosmetics that were applied.
The technicians have shipped the eight kilowatts and thus eleven horsepower of the starter generator into the revised eight-speed automatic transmission. With the so-called crankshaft starter, the petrol engine now always starts smoothly - no more typical starter "organs" anymore, the six-end simply "pops" because the powerful electric motor (that's what a starter is after all) acts so quickly. The conventional pinion starter is only used in extremely rare, exceptional situations such as frosty weather below minus ten degrees.
And finally, the X7 can also crawl electrically, i.e. roll when the combustion engine is at a standstill and reach up to five km/h thanks to the 200 Newton meters of traction from the electric machine. This is made possible by the fact that the engineering team has revised the valve outlet side: As a result, both the inlet and outlet valves can now be completely closed if necessary. The result is that the piston slides up against the compression, but in return it relaxes again - this eliminates the resistance. You may dismiss it as a gimmick, but somehow it forms the hybrid character if you can move around without a combustion engine. However, this function is reserved for the 40i.
The question of whether you need more than 381 hp combustion power is superfluous on the first few meters. The heavy all-rounder puts down with a sonorous whisper, pushes with gentle force and, when the right pedal dips, firstly becomes angrier in tone and secondly more fiery in acceleration. The fact that the 40i stormed the 100 km/h mark in just 5.8 seconds was a gift. But does the hybrid drive unit, including the complex eight-speed automatic transmission, also deliver seamless propulsion in every situation, as Nicolardi promises? Well, except for tiny delays depending on the load and speed.
You can't cover a lot of kilometers on the motorway much more comfortably, especially since the velvety leather upholstery welcomes its passengers so warmly (and also knead them for around 1200 euros) that getting off almost becomes a sad affair.
But of course the experience can still be topped. With the fundamentally revised eight-cylinder, the M60i roars acoustically fantastically into spheres of driving dynamics, in which serious sports cars can also be found. Thanks to rear-axle steering, the 2.7-ton colossus is even relatively quick around the bend - for the record. After 4.7 seconds, the virtual needle is at 100 km/h - 250 things, however, make both the six and the eight-cylinder. The latter is not cheap at all at 127,200 euros. Anyone who accesses this should hardly be bothered by the fact that they sometimes sip 12.9 liters of Super in the averaged WLTP discipline. The in-line six-cylinder is more frugal, opening the WLTP round (combined) with 9.6 liters per 100 kilometers. Chapeau!
What else do you need to know about the revised X7? Maybe that as a driver you have sovereignty over the command center for the rear rows of seats. The buttons for this are next to the door opener - it couldn't be easier, a short press and the floor of the rear compartment turns into a flat surface. If you sit in the second row, you can also adjust your furniture electrically. The fact that seven people are allowed to sit ensures further points in the practicality category.
And of course there are plenty of USB ports available if required. By the way, anyone who has gotten themselves into a technically difficult situation with the unloading ship from which they (or she) threatens not to get out - no problem. The X7 remembers the last 200 meters covered and drives back exactly like this (1400 euros).
Even if Germany is certainly not the largest sales market for the X7, it will not remain such a rare guest on the streets in this country. Because no other BMW combines luxury so skilfully with such practical skills. By the way: he can still hook 3.5 tons.
