BMW’s new flagship SUV — the X7 — is due to launch in India later this year with a choice of six-cylinder petrol or diesel engines. We drove the petrol model — xDrive40i — on international roads to get a feel of the SUV.
The X7 looks like no BMW before. The nose is huge and imposing, the slim headlamps look cool, and then there’s the BMW kidney grille that seemed too large in the pictures, but after seeing it in the flesh, I don’t mind it so much anymore.
Special Arrangement
Inside the X7’s cabin, which is a cocoon of leather, chrome and wood, the hush is truly palpable. We are so insulated from the road, it reminds me of being in a 7 Series or a Mercedes S-Class. And it isn’t just the damping of the body shell; there are double-glazed windows, ‘acoustic windscreens’ and even an extra layer of sound deadening on the roof.
Special Arrangement
The front and middle rows get big captain seats that offer good support for your shoulders, upper back, lower back, and thighs and are very pleasing to the touch. What improves the experience is the fact that all four seats are powered, allowing you to adjust them as you please. The front seats are also cooled, heated, with a massage function as well.
Climate control
Then there is the five-zone auto climate control system — one for each captain seat and one for the third row. The front passenger can additionally set their own fan speed as well. Then there are the soft pillow-like headrests on the second row, and what makes the cabin feel even more luxurious is that it is festooned with buttons that allow you to adjust the other rows. You can’t adjust the front passenger seat from the second row though — like on many luxury cars in India — but that apart, overall packaging is excellent.
The SUV even scores well for seat comfort on the third row. Place the X7 ‘low’, for easy entry, and getting into the third row isn’t too bad.
What makes the cabin also stand out is the thick, high-quality leather upholstery — which is just about everywhere — and the use of high-gloss wood, chrome and even crystal and cut glass inserts throughout the cabin.
The ride is undoubtedly limo-like. The X7, on its air suspension and liquid-filled rubber bushings, glides over most bumps like they don’t exist. What also help make the suspension feel more supple are the active anti-roll bars that all but ‘decouple’ when the car is being driven in a straight line, preventing the lateral rocking motion all cars with stiff anti-roll bars exhibit.
Time to see if this 40i we are driving has enough grunt to move this 2.4-tonne beast. The gearbox sure is quick; every time I flatten my right foot, the 8-speed unit just skips a couple of gears and flicks the engine up into its powerband. And BMW’s 3.0-litre straight-six doesn’t disappoint either. Far from it, in fact; the flow of power is strong, there’s plenty of torque, and as the revs climb, there’s even a sporty snarl all the way to the redline. Yes, 340hp isn’t all that much when considering the car’s weight, but keep your foot flat and the X7 can really sprint. And it feels quick, too, even in isolation, as 0-100kph takes a claimed 6.1sec.
Agility first
On the long straights, the BMW is very stable; so stable that you don’t have much sensation of speed. The two-metre-wide car just seems to naturally want to go straight. This, however, is an illusion, says Daniel Nowicki, the man in charge of how the X7 drives. “We knew it would be extremely difficult to get such a big car to feel agile, so instead of stability, we built in agility.” BMW actually used rear-wheel steering and active anti-roll bars to ‘calm it down’.
Now, this sounds counter-intuitive, but it works. Introduce the X7 to a corner — even one that needs to be taken at a high speed — and the agility is plainly there. Turn-in is neat and tidy, the steering is well-weighted and gives you plenty of confidence, and there’s so much grip, you can carry plenty of speed into corners.
Likely to hit showrooms in India somewhere around Diwali, the Mercedes GLS-rivalling X7 is expected with a ₹1.18 crore plus price tag, despite local assembly. If you’re looking for a combination of comfort, luxury and the ability to seat six with ease, the BMW X7 could be your best bet.
