2019 BMW X7 First Drive: Unexpected agility in a 7-seat luxury SUV
The first ever 2019 BMW X7 is, without a doubt, built to satisfy the cravings of modern car buyers. We all know that SUVs – or sport utility vehicles – are the current darlings of the car buying crowd; you have to be a brave automaker to not have an SUV of some sort in your lineup. With BMW, there have been many SUVs to pick from – unless, that is, you needed a bigger people hauler. It’s about time that the X7 made its debut, then, casting a huge net in the sea of potential SUV buyers.
The new BMW X7 is not your average family SUV. It isn’t only the youngest and seventh offering in BMW’s family, but it also happens to be the biggest and most luxurious. You can credit the Audi Q7 for being the first German SUV with seven proper seats, yes, but even the current Q7 only has a 117.9 inch wheelbase, whereas the BMW X7 stretches that to 122 inches. It not only equates to a more spacious interior for the second and third-row passengers, but the longer wheelbase also helps with a more comfortable and luxurious ride.
BMW is marketing the X7 as an ultra-luxe yet still practical SUV. Indeed, the automaker prefers to call it an SAV, or “sports activity vehicle,” and it’s not far from the truth. The SAV term was first coined for the BMW X5: whereas other SUVs prioritized being rugged, athletic, and borderline industrial in their nature, the E53 X5 was the exact opposite. No, it’s not what you would call an off-road vehicle, but that’s because it’s primarily designed for swift highway driving with the elevated seating and sense of presence an SUV delivers.
The new BMW X7 follows that same philosophy. It doesn’t pretend to be an off-roader, and frankly I highly doubt any owner would take it beyond a gravel road at worst. BMW does offer an xOffroad package, raising the X7’s ground clearance, adding an off-road specific differential lock, front skid plate and under guard, and user-selectable off-road modes. But let’s be real here: if you want a serious off-roader, it’s best to look elsewhere. Instead, the BMW X7 is aiming for a younger and more affluent audience, who wants nothing short of seven seats and near-Rolls-Royce levels of luxury.
The most prominent design feature of the 2019 BMW X7 is the extra-large kidney grille, which extends over the edge of the equally-massive hood. There’s no way to unsee it, and there’s no middle ground here. You either love it or hate it. I happen to love it; it’s bold, and it oozes dominance on the road. The goal is, in BMW’s words, to give the vehicle an undeniable sense of presence. From the looks of it, BMW has succeeded marvelously, although I can’t help but think of a glammed-up hippo every time I check out the front of the car.
I’d argue that the new BMW X7 looks its best when viewed from the side. The 16 foot 10 inch length is spectacular. It has an undeniable poise on the road, and it looks great on the move. When seen from behind, the greenhouse appears stylishly tapered from on the outside, while maintaining the roominess on the inside. Having more legroom in this class of vehicle isn’t just a luxury but a must have; happily the X7 offers more than enough room in all three rows of seating. The rear door is longer and larger than the front doors to improve accessibility when entering or stepping out of the third-row seats. In smaller SUVs, the third seats are simply novelties: mainly just money makers for car manufacturers, and really only good for small children or fluffy canines. The same definitely can’t be said for the X7.
Despite the length, height, and girth of the new BMW X7, it still manages to convey a dynamic presence. There’s no mistaking this vehicle is engineered to be a people-mover from the ground up. Contrary to what others might think, though, the X7 is not just a raised and toughened 7-Series. While it borrows some of the luxury features of that sedan, it does so in a way that’s still athletic, just what the target audience is looking for.
While head-on the X7 might resemble the Hollywood star of the hippo world, it still has a pair of sharp-looking and hi-tech eyes. As standard, BMW equips it with LED headlights, but choosing the BMW Laserlight option gives you blue X-shaped elements inside the headlights. They’re good for almost 2,000 feet of visibility on the darkest of roads.
At the rear, the BMW X7 offers a surprising bonus. It comes with an automatic split tailgate for effortless loading of camping gear and sports equipment. For tailgaters, the lower portion serves as a bench to sit on. Still, if you need to haul a lot of stuff, just make sure to not overcommit on passengers. Cargo space is a paltry 326 liters when the third-row seats are up. Push a button to fold them down and cargo space improves to 750 liters. Looking for maximum shopping capacity? You get 2,120 liters of space with the third and second-row seats folded down. The two captain’s chair configuration is the most comfortable second row option for people-m
2019 BMW X7 First Drive: Unexpected agility in a 7-seat luxury SUV
BMW is marketing the X7 as an ultra-luxe yet still practical SUV. Indeed, the automaker prefers to call it an SAV, or “sports activity vehicle,” and it’s not far from the truth. The SAV term was first coined for the BMW X5: whereas other SUVs prioritized being rugged, athletic, and borderline industrial in their nature, the E53 X5 was the exact opposite. No, it’s not what you would call an off-road vehicle, but that’s because it’s primarily designed for swift highway driving with the elevated seating and sense of presence an SUV delivers.
The new BMW X7 follows that same philosophy. It doesn’t pretend to be an off-roader, and frankly I highly doubt any owner would take it beyond a gravel road at worst. BMW does offer an xOffroad package, raising the X7’s ground clearance, adding an off-road specific differential lock, front skid plate and under guard, and user-selectable off-road modes. But let’s be real here: if you want a serious off-roader, it’s best to look elsewhere. Instead, the BMW X7 is aiming for a younger and more affluent audience, who wants nothing short of seven seats and near-Rolls-Royce levels of luxury.
The most prominent design feature of the 2019 BMW X7 is the extra-large kidney grille, which extends over the edge of the equally-massive hood. There’s no way to unsee it, and there’s no middle ground here. You either love it or hate it. I happen to love it; it’s bold, and it oozes dominance on the road. The goal is, in BMW’s words, to give the vehicle an undeniable sense of presence. From the looks of it, BMW has succeeded marvelously, although I can’t help but think of a glammed-up hippo every time I check out the front of the car.
I’d argue that the new BMW X7 looks its best when viewed from the side. The 16 foot 10 inch length is spectacular. It has an undeniable poise on the road, and it looks great on the move. When seen from behind, the greenhouse appears stylishly tapered from on the outside, while maintaining the roominess on the inside. Having more legroom in this class of vehicle isn’t just a luxury but a must have; happily the X7 offers more than enough room in all three rows of seating. The rear door is longer and larger than the front doors to improve accessibility when entering or stepping out of the third-row seats. In smaller SUVs, the third seats are simply novelties: mainly just money makers for car manufacturers, and really only good for small children or fluffy canines. The same definitely can’t be said for the X7.
Despite the length, height, and girth of the new BMW X7, it still manages to convey a dynamic presence. There’s no mistaking this vehicle is engineered to be a people-mover from the ground up. Contrary to what others might think, though, the X7 is not just a raised and toughened 7-Series. While it borrows some of the luxury features of that sedan, it does so in a way that’s still athletic, just what the target audience is looking for.
While head-on the X7 might resemble the Hollywood star of the hippo world, it still has a pair of sharp-looking and hi-tech eyes. As standard, BMW equips it with LED headlights, but choosing the BMW Laserlight option gives you blue X-shaped elements inside the headlights. They’re good for almost 2,000 feet of visibility on the darkest of roads.
At the rear, the BMW X7 offers a surprising bonus. It comes with an automatic split tailgate for effortless loading of camping gear and sports equipment. For tailgaters, the lower portion serves as a bench to sit on. Still, if you need to haul a lot of stuff, just make sure to not overcommit on passengers. Cargo space is a paltry 326 liters when the third-row seats are up. Push a button to fold them down and cargo space improves to 750 liters. Looking for maximum shopping capacity? You get 2,120 liters of space with the third and second-row seats folded down. The two captain’s chair configuration is the most comfortable second row option for people-m
Comments
Post a Comment