BMW India has listed the first-ever X7 on its website, confirming that it will kickstart the new year with the launch of the new flagship SUV. A report last month had said that the launch is scheduled to take place on the 31st of this month.
The X7 is BMW’s answer to the Mercedes GLS that has remained the sole offering in the segment from the German Big Three since 2006.
The X7 is BMW’s answer to the Mercedes GLS that has remained the sole offering in the segment from the German Big Three since 2006. It also competes with the Range Rover, Lexus LX, Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Continental. Measuring 5,151 mm in length, 2,000 mm wide and 1,805 mm tall, and with a wheelbase of 3,105 mm, it’s the largest representative of the BMW 'X' family.
In addition to the slim twin Adaptive LED headlights with BMW Laserlight high beam, the largest kidney grille ever, particularly large BMW roundel on the bonnet, 22-inch wheels and slim LED rear lights with a chrome bar bridging the space between them are more visual treats.
The BMW i8 was the brand’s first recipient of laser headlamps, but it wasn’t available with that feature in India. Spy shots suggest that the X7 will debut this high-end feature in our market. BMW Laserlight offers double the high beam range compared to standard LED high beam (600 metres instead of 300 metres). It’s an optional feature costing €1,490 (INR 1.19 lakh) in Germany.
The BMW X7 offers seats for seven with an electric second-row operation as standard or six seats with individual electric adjustment optionally. BMW Live Cockpit Professional including a 12.3-inch fully virtual instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch central display is a standard fitment. Also standard is an electric three-part panoramic glass roof for enjoying lots of sunlight and fresh air.
For those preferring the cabin closed and flaunting the exquisite design, LED ambient lighting is standard. When darkness falls, the Panorama glass Sky Lounge generates LED light spreading evenly across the glass surfaces to illuminate more than 15,000 graphic patterns to form a display reminiscent of a starlit sky. In BMW’s home market, that’s a €850 (INR 68k)-option.
In India, BMW will launch the X7 in the M50d M Performance model variant and introduce xDrive40i and xDrive30d model variants in September 2019. The xDrive50i model is not made for the European markets, and similarly, it’s unlikely for India.
As is the case internationally, the BMW X7's deliveries are unlikely to commence in India before March 2019.
The BMW X7 will arrive in India as a CBU import from the USA. It may cost over INR 1.5 crore (ex-showroom). Local assembly and the xDrive40i and xDrive30d model launches will make the X7 more accessible later.