BMW X7 SAV: FIRST DETAILS

BMW_X7_front
BMW Australia has provided advanced information on the upcoming X7 SAV which will arrive Downunder in the second quarter of 2019. Big, bold and imposing it sits a full size up on the hugely successful X5.

Note that BMW refers to its range as Sport Activity Vehicles (SAVs), not SUVs, saying its vehicles are designed for Activity, not Utility. Makes sense to us.

The word subtle will never be used to describe the BMW X7, it’s big and bold from its huge kidney grilles to the very angular Hofmeister kink on the D-pillars, with deep door swages that run all the way from the front guards to the rear. The rear is upright to provide good load capacity, with 326 litres of space even with all seats in use and can be expanded to a 2120 litres.

It has large wheels, standard is 20-inch while 21- and 22-inch variants can be selected from the options list.

BMW_X7_rear

Dimensions are 5151 millimetres in length, 2000 mm wide and 1805 millimetres tall. The wheelbase is 3105 mm.

The BMW X7 comes as standard with Vernasca leather trim, four-zone automatic climate control, a three-section panoramic glass roof, and ambient lighting including BMW’s Welcome Light Carpet and Dynamic Interior Light.

Three rows of seats offer space for seven people in total. The middle row normally has three seats but two individual seats is an option.

BMW tell us the third-row seats are full-size, and come with armrests, cupholders and USB ports.

All seats are adjusted electrically at the push of a button.

BMW_X7_interior

Live Cockpit Professional with BMW Operating System 7.0 (including BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant) is standard. It comprises a fully digital instrument cluster and a Control Display, each of which have a screen diagonal of 12.3 inches.

Engines that will be available at launch are a 340 kW petrol V8 in the BMW X7 xDrive50i; a six-cylinder in-line petrol unit with 250 kW for the BMW X7 xDrive40i; and two six-cylinder in-line turbo-diesels with outputs of 195 kW in the BMW X7 xDrive30d and 294 kW in the BMW X7 M50d.

All the engines are mated to an eight-speed Steptronic transmission and BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel-drive system.

An M Sport differential at the rear axle has electronically controlled locking. It is standard on the BMW X7 M50d and optional on the BMW X7 xDrive50i and BMW X7 xDrive40i.

There is adaptive suspension with electronically controlled dampers and air springs at both axles. The vehicle’s ground clearance can be varied by up to 80 millimetres to suit conditions.

The X7 will be built at BMW Plant Spartanburg in the USA, its market launch will begin in March 2019.

NOTE: BMW Australia advises the press release provided to the Australian media is, “A 1:1 copy of the original issued by BMW Group headquarters in Germany. No adaptations have been made to cater for the Australian market.” So, in this news story we have left our information we feel may be Euro specific. We may be proven wrong, if so further specifics will be added later.

About Ewan Kennedy

Ewan Kennedy, a long-time car enthusiast, was Technical Research Librarian with the NRMA from 1970 until 1985. He worked part-time as a freelance motoring journalist from 1977 until 1985, when he took a full-time position as Technical Editor with Modern Motor magazine. Late in 1987 he left to set up a full-time business as a freelance motoring journalist. Ewan is an associate member of the Society of Automotive Engineers - International. An economy driving expert, he set the Guinness World Record for the greatest distance travelled in a standard road vehicle on a single fuel fill. He lists his hobbies as stage acting, travelling, boating and reading.
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