BMW X7 2026 (2022 - )

If you’re in the market for a large family SUV from a premium carmaker then the BMW X7 could be right up your street. But it needs to be a wide street as this Bimmer is the largest model the German marque produces for the UK.

With seating for six or seven, the full-sized SUV is available with petrol or diesel powertrains featuring mild hybrid technology, and there are trims to choose from called Excellence and M Sport. 

The entry-level petrol version costs from £93,280 (OTR), while the cheapest diesel is priced at £94,375. But if you really have the cash to splash, there is a performance M60i xDrive version priced at £118,305. And, of course, there are all manner of opportunities to put your individual stamp on the vehicle via an extensive range of optional extras.

All models are sold with xDrive all-wheel drive, and we opted for the BMW X7 xDrive40d M Sport with six seats rather than seven for our test drive, and this model was £97,420 … before options.

As the motoring industry focuses intently on the move towards an electrified future, what a delight and rarity it is these days to get a diesel-powered car on test for 10 days. And our X7, complete with its mighty 3.0-litre, six-cylinder diesel engine, delivered on all counts.

With 352PS and a whopping 720Nm of torque, this family SUV could complete the 0-62mph dash in just 5.9 seconds and maxed out at 152mph – that’s not too shabby for a vehicle that weighs 2,565kg.

It’s a vehicle that will cruise effortlessly at 70mph on motorways for miles on end and there will be no constant range-checking as this BMW has hundreds of miles in the tank – oh, the beauty of diesel.

And it’s actually quite agile when faced with more open country lanes. Admittedly, it does feel its full 2.2-metres width at times, especially when fizzing along narrow Cornish roads, but the excellent driver visibility is a bonus. We should mention the large pair of rear headrests can easily be lowered when not in use and that really improves the view through the back screen.

The X7 is composed and confident with bundles of grip, although at times, it felt a little wallowy on uneven road surfaces. The acceleration via the eight-speed automatic gearbox is both smooth and responsive and there are steering wheel-mounted paddles for added driver engagement. Additionally, drive modes called Sport, Comfort and Eco Pro alter the dynamics accordingly.

The steering is beautifully weighted with great driver feedback, and being an xDrive model, this BMW comes with intelligent all-wheel drive that automatically distributes power between the front and rear wheels to improve grip as well as stability.

When you’re designing a full-sized SUV with three rows of seats, it can be challenging to get all the proportions right. Too large and it looks bulky and cumbersome, too small and it fails on practicality demands. However, BMW have got it spot on with the latest X7. This is a vehicle that truly knows just how to make an entrance with a commanding road presence, alongside sporty design cues.

Up front, there is the over-sized kidney grille flanked by split-LED headlights. The huge front bumper houses air vents and the sculpted bonnet look distinctive too.

When viewed from the side, the X7 boasts a flowing roofline, black pillars, roof rails, soft-close doors, distinctive M Sport side skirts, plus 21-inch alloy wheels with M-badged brakes and blue calipers. At the rear, the trio of LED tail lights are eye-catching and the styling is completed by trapezoidal exhaust pipe finishers.

Moving inside, that M Sport theme continues with model-specific seat belts that are predominantly black but feature subtle blue and red stripes. There is a leather dashboard, Ivory White leather upholstered seats that are powered, can be heated or ventilated and even offer a massage function. The two captain’s chairs in the second row, along with the steering wheel, can also be warmed against the winter blues.

The main focal point is the curved twin-screen display set-up that sees a 12.3-inch instrument cluster where all the important driving data can be viewed, merge seamlessly into a 14.9-inch touchscreen. There is a wealth of on-board technology to explore with a rotary dial making it far easier to navigate drop-down menus rather than poking at the touchscreen on the fly.

Creature comforts include full smartphone connectivity via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, built-in sat nav, a DAB radio and a pitch perfect Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system that is an optional extra.

The cabin has a truly elegant and upmarket feel about it and light floods in through the panoramic glass sunroof, which is also an optional extra.

The BMW X7 is a big beast of an SUV that stretches 5,181mm in length, is 2,218mm across (including mirrors), and 1,835mm tall with a 3,105mm wheelbase. Those numbers translate into a huge cabin area with space for six occupants. Up front, two adults of the taller variety can stretch out in comfort and there are two individual captain’s chairs in the second row (rather than an optional three-seat bench) and these offer lounge-like comfort. Then there are two additional seats in the third row that are suitable for teens without any complaints about being cramped. That said; a certain amount of agility is required to climb in and out with any sense of dignity.

The boot is accessed via a powered spilt-tailgate and it can swallow 326 litres of luggage, increasing to 750 litres with five seats upright. With only the two front seats in use, the storage limit increases to 2,120 litres. For added convenience, the rear seats can be raised and lowered from the boot.

Additionally, there are plenty of handy storage solutions scattered throughout the cabin and these include a lockable glovebox, wide door bins with space to store a bottle, a deep cubby, a secret compartment next to the driver’s door, front cup holders with a heating or cooling function, rear cup holders, seat back pockets, coat hooks, trays and USB ports so all occupants can stay connected on the move.

So, getting down to the nitty-gritty then and the pricing. Firstly, BMW is a premium marque so that means a premium price-tag. The X7 line-up starts from £93,280 but if you need or prefer a diesel powertrain the starting point is £94,375 for the Excellence trim and £97,420 for the M Sport grade as tested.

But as is the premium way, there was a raft of optional extras and packs that added a further £22,129 to the final cost on our X7. These extras included a Comfort Pack, Exclusive Pack, iconic glow kidney grille, the six-seat configuration, an M Sport Package Pro and a few other individual items. 

Officially under WLTP testing, the BMW X7 xDrive40d M Sport can deliver a combined 32.1-35.3mpg and has carbon emissions of 215g/km. That CO2 figure will result in a hefty first-year road tax bill of £3,420, although it drops to the standard £200 fee after 12 months. but there are more costs for owners to take into account as the X7 costs in excess of the government's £40k Expensive Car supplement threshold. That means customers will need to find an extra £440 annually from years two to six.

And for anyone looking at the X7 as a business car, it comes with the worst Benefit-in-Kind tax rating of 37 per cent. The insurance will be expensive too as the car sits in group 50, which is the highest. 

So, lots of costs to take into account apart from the asking price, but most of the vehicle's closest competitors would be very similar. 

To sum up, the BMW X7 xDrive40d M Sport is a most impressive all-round premium SUV that offers strong diesel performance. The six-seat version, as tested, oozed class with exceptional comfort and bundles of technology for occupants to explore. 

The vehicle did feel quite wide on narrower lanes, but also felt invincible when travelling on longer motorway journeys in wet driving conditions the upright driving position and great all-round visibility were most reassuring.

Yes, this BMW is at the higher end of the pricing scale, but it was fitted with all the bells and whistles imaginable. If cost is a priority, much of the standard equipment would also do very nicely.