The BMW X7 is properly big! It’s not just big in size, it’s big on space, features, comfort, and has a big heart too. Here’s what the new X7 is like in diesel guise.
Story: Jim Gorde
Photography: Apurva Ambep
This was the first time I sampled the new mild-hybrid “40d” spec diesel engine from BMW and I had been looking forward to it ever since I read of its release. Honestly, I think it’s probably the best diesel straight-six in the world—the contenders include the Mercedes 450 d, the Land Rover D350, with the 40d’s older sibling, the 400-hp quad-turbo M50d, now consigned to history. Having opened with that, let’s get to the actual car and what we see rather than talk about what’s inside.
The BMW X7 measures 5.2 metres long and exactly two metres wide and runs a long 3.1-metre wheelbase, which translates into generous interior room and the means of having a folding third row of individual seats as well. The front-end styling has been a talking point—for both 7s—and, at first glance, it’s easy to see why. The large kidney grille over what is an expanse of frontal area is joined by a radical upper-lower section for the all-LED daytime lights and headlamps respectively. If you ask me, though, I think it looks smart. May take a little getting used to at first but, eventually, it all comes down to how it feels.
Inside, the cabin is a plush spread and, I must say, as with the i7 and 7 Series, there is more than a hint of Rolls-Royce in here. The architecture of luxury certainly seems to have had a rub-off effect and the interior of the new BMW X7 is, in one word, exceptional. The choice of wood and metal trim looks old-school premium, while the “< >” accents from the X range continue on the passenger side. The crystal elements look fancy but can dazzle when hit by the sun from a few angles. However, they do add a new dimension to the premium finish.
The seats in the BMW X7 are large and supportive and have multi-way power-adjust possibilities, plus heating and cooling. There is the big wheel ahead of me with one half of the sweeping BMW Curved Display behind it, flowing towards the centre at a curvature to my line of sight, sort of enveloping me in colour and information; although it’s not too much of either, thankfully. The premium sound system immerses occupants in theatre-quality audio and it is an ideal companion when dealing with traffic. That said, the engine is not even audible inside the cabin, so there’s no real noise to drown out. The sound insulation overall is excellent and even the worst of road irregularities and the most blaring horns are cut down to barely audible.
The BMW X7 xDrive40d packs the 2,993-cc straight six with 48-volt mild-hybrid technology. The engine produces a peak 340 hp and 700 Nm of peak torque, the latter available from low down the rev-range from just 1,750 rpm. BMW say the 9.0-kW starter-generator contributes 12 hp and 200 Nm, making the peak system output read 352 hp and 720 Nm. And it does seem like it because there is enough go in the 2.5-tonne luxo-barge even from standstill without smashing the pedal. It gets a move on quickly and effortlessly, even in Eco Pro, one of the drive modes offered, apart from Comfort and Sport, which are, as always, calibrated well enough to alter the character of the car entirely. That—and a lot more—become evident on the move.
