If the world ever needed proof that the Germans can out-America the Americans, behold the BMW X7 — a 5.1-metre, 2.2-metre wide rolling ego trip wearing a glowing kidney grille large enough to inhale an Alto. First launched in 2018, and now updated for 2025, the facelifted X7 is BMW’s polite way of saying: “Yes, we too can build something the size of a Delhi flat… but with heated seats.”
Design: Chrome Meets Confidence
Designed by Anders Thøgersen, the X7’s face is equal parts intimidating and illuminated — literally. The split LED headlights are adaptive, intelligent, and possibly more qualified than half of Delhi’s traffic lights. Below them, the M Sport apron and those 21-inch double-spoke alloys look like they were machined by Thor himself.
Every curve screams “flagship,” every line whispers “please move aside.” From the side, the aluminium running boards, wheel arch trims, and 221 mm ground clearance suggest it can go off-road… though the only mud most owners will see is in the imported spa’s clay wrap.
Platform & Powertrain: CLAR-ity of Purpose
Built on BMW’s CLAR platform, which also underpins the 7 Series, X5, X6, and even the XM, the X7 is a masterclass in versatility. India gets the 3.0-litre inline-6 engines — petrol (B58) and diesel (B57) — both with a 48 V mild-hybrid system.
- Petrol: 375 hp, 520 Nm, 0-100 km/h in 5.8 s
- Diesel: 335 hp, 700 Nm, 0-100 km/h in 5.9 s
Both engines pair with the ZF 8-speed Steptronic Sport gearbox and xDrive AWD. If you were wondering whether it can pull a yacht — yes, 3.5 tonnes of one. If you were wondering whether you can pull that off financially — not so sure.
The V8 M60i and Alpina XB7 remain forbidden fruit for India, but don’t worry, the B58 engine has won Ward’s 10 Best Engines four times. It’s the Sachin Tendulkar of straight-six motors — reliable, elegant, and always delivers under pressure.
Ride & Handling: Float Like a Baller, Corner Like a BMW
With adaptive 2-axle air suspension, launch control, and four drive modes — Eco Pro, Comfort, Sport, and Adaptive — the X7 can transform from serene to savage with a flick. The ride comfort is so plush it could double as a business-class lounge, yet the steering retains that classic BMW feedback — precise enough to make a 2.5-tonne SUV feel like it’s dieting.
Brake Energy Regeneration and the Integrated Brake System ensure your energy (and brakes) aren’t wasted, though your wallet might be — because brake discs this big cost as much as some hatchbacks.
Interior: Craftsmanship with a Capital C
Step inside and it’s less “car” and more “palace annex.”
Brown BMW Individual Merino leather upholstery, Alcantara cushions, and crafted glass controls make the cabin feel as if a jeweller had a say in the design. The 15-colour ambient lighting, five-zone climate control, and a three-part panoramic glass roof with 15,000 LEDs could easily host a rave — or a quiet evening of stock-market panic.
Front comfort seats offer ventilation, heating, lumbar support, and memory functions, while the second row’s captain chairs come with electrical adjustments and roller sunblinds. The third row folds down electrically to expand boot space from 750 litres to 2,120 litres — that’s roughly enough to fit your entire week’s indecision at IKEA.
Tech: BMW’s Digital Brain
The new Curved Display integrates a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch infotainment screen powered by BMW Operating System 8. Gesture control, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, eSIM connectivity, augmented-reality navigation — you name it. The Head-Up Display even tells you when you’re about to miss your turn because you were admiring the ambient light patterns again.
The Harman Kardon 16-speaker, 464 W system can turn your commute into a Coldplay concert, though road noise is already silenced by the acoustic glazing. BMW clearly decided “peace” was standard equipment.
Safety: German Overengineering in Action
Eight airbags, 360° cameras, dynamic brake control, hill-descent control, reversing assistant, anti-theft recorder, attentiveness assistant — and more acronyms than a government policy paper.
Basically, it’s safer than your average WhatsApp group opinion.
Price & Value: Luxury, Lightly Rationalized
Starting at ₹ 1.25 crore (ex-showroom) and topping out near ₹ 1.30 crore, the X7 isn’t here to play value games. It’s here to remind you that “flagship” in BMW-speak means you’re paying for everything — from adaptive air flaps to pyrotechnic seat-belt tensioners.
Service packages start at ₹ 97,000 for 3 years/40,000 km — or roughly what you’d spend on fine coffee beans for your in-car espresso mood.
Verdict: A Bavarian Yacht for the Highway
The BMW X7 M Sport is less an SUV and more a statement — one that says, “Yes, I wanted a 7 Series, but I also wanted to see over traffic.”
It’s big, bold, brilliant, and unapologetically indulgent — a mix of German precision and American excess, like eating bratwurst at a Texas barbecue.
Sure, it’s not meant for the narrow lanes of old Delhi or Gwalior’s city center, but park it outside a five-star hotel and it instantly becomes part of the architecture.
If the XM is BMW’s wild rockstar, the X7 is the dignified billionaire who funds the concert — from the comfort of his ventilated captain seat.
