25th July 2019 when BMW India launched the X7 for the first time in the country, all the units allocated to the country got lapped up in the first month itself.

Reason- the first ever full blown 7-seater from the German Marque and it had the poise, and it had its charm.

3 years later, here we are with the LCI of the X7, and it looks sleeker and sharper than ever. Prices for the new X7 now start at INR 1.22 crores for the xDrive40i M Sport version & 1.24 crores for the xDrive40d M Sport version. While the bookings have started, the deliveries will commence from March 2023.

On the occasion of the launch, Mr. Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India said, “The language of luxury is changing. Today’s luxury is about purpose and substance, meaning and mindfulness. The BMW X7 is a symbol of forwardism – a natural match for the uncompromising expectations of those who drive the world. It touches the highest echelons of emotional driving pleasure and exclusivity. And now the new X7 offers more of everything: more presence, more luxury, more intelligence and more efficiency. It is a state-of-the-art companion for every journey. Connoisseurs immediately recognise it as the leader in its own right as it heralds a unique dimension in mobility. That is the unequivocal reason behind the immense continuing success of the X7.”

On the exterior, the X7 retains the ever-imposing grille, which always has had polarizing views, however the LED headlights are new and now they are housed in two separate modules. However, at the sides and the rear the SUV remains largely unchanged barring for the new illumination for the 3D taillights.

The interiors of the X7 are now in-line with the current design language of all the upcoming BMW’s. We saw it in the new 7 Series, new 3GL as well as the new X1, the BMW Curved Display with a 12.3-inch digital information display behind the steering wheel, a 14.9-inch Control Display and BMW Head-up Display. You also get BMW Operating System 8 as standard OS in the car. Additional premium touch is the ambient light bar that extends from the center stack to the passenger sides elevating the experience in the cabin. The gear shifter has given way to gear toggle switch, the panoramic sky lounge sunroof extends all the way till the third row and 16 speakers Harman Kardon audio setup delivers crisp sound. While the 7 gets Bowers & Wilkin setup, we would have loved if X7 could also get the same setup.

On the engine front, there are just 2 options to choose from, to bring in simplicity in the life of the customers, The 3-litre 6-cylinder in-line petrol engine in the BMW X7 xDrive40i M Sport produces an output of 381 hp and torque of 520 Nm. The car accelerates from 0 -100 km / hr in just 5.8 seconds. Available for the first time, the 3-litre 6-cylinder in-line diesel engine of the BMW X7 xDrive40d M Sport produces an output of 340 hp and a maximum torque of 700 Nm. The car accelerates from 0 -100 km / hr in just 5.9 seconds. Additionally, both engines get a 48V Electrical Motor that with a power output of 12 hp and torque output of 200 Nm, helping achieve even better efficiency and dynamics.

As always, the X7 comes equipped with an eight-speed Steptronic transmission, that goes about doing its job seamlessly. Further to let the driver enjoy the drive, he/she can access distinct driving setups in both automatic and manual mode – COMFORT, EFFICIENT, SPORT and SPORT PLUS. BMWs are meant to have the best dynamics owing to their chassis setup and perfect 50-50 weight distribution and this X7 is no different. What also making it enjoying to drive is the XDrive system with Electronically controlled ‘Automatic Differential Brakes/Locks’ (ADB-X), extended ‘Dynamic Traction Control’ (DTC), which ensures that the driver is always behind the control with maximum traction and agility. What also supports is BMW’s adaptive 2 Axle Air Suspension which constantly gets the data from the on-board computers to alter the driving dynamics is it sees that the car is in Auto Driving Mode.

The BMW X7 was always the first choice of customers who loved SUVs with certain panache and with these updates, we can say, the X7 has become far more flamboyant.

Let us know what you think about the X7 in the comments below.