BMW is finally completing its Sport Activity Vehicle (SAV) line with the introduction of the first-ever X7. The largest of BMW’s SUV line-up, it’s the “bid daddy” with comfortable seating for 7. Yet, they say it will retain all the off-road prowess, excellent ride comfort, and agile on-road handling that all SAVs are known for.

It’s a towering beast—measuring in at 5,151 millimeters in length, 2,000 millimeters in width, and 1,805 millimeters in height. It debuts BMW’s new SAV design language which emphasizes lines and expansive surfaces. Upfront, there’s the trademark double kidney grille, molded into a hexagonal shield-like appearance. LED headlights and taillights are standard as well as a two-piece tailgate. 20-inch alloy wheels would be the smallest rim size available while 22s would be the largest. Two design lines—Design Pure Excellence and M Sport offer varying interior and exterior detail changes.



With a wheelbase that stretches to 3,105 millimeters, the X7 opens to three rows of seats. It offers Vernasca leather trim, 4-zone climate control, a three-section panoramic glass roof, and ambient lighting as standard. Certain markets can then spec them up even more to include features such as a Bower & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System and a rear-seat entertainment system.

Built at BMW’s Spartanburg plant in the United States, the X7 offers both gasoline and diesel variants. The smallest cylinder count is at six with the 265 horsepower xDrive30d serving as the bottom-rung model. Moving up, there’s the 340 horsepower xDrive40i, 400 horsepower xDrive50d, and finally, the 462 horsepower xDrive50i. All engines are mated to an 8-speed automatic.



Giving it surprisingly agile handling, the X7 gets adaptive suspension with electronically controlled dampers and air springs as standard. With this, vehicle height can be adjusted by up to 80 millimeters. There’s also a dedicated Off-Road Package that unlocks four driving modes while an electronically locking M Sport Differential offers a sportier on-road driving experience.

The first batch of BMW X7s will begin in March 2019.