Matt DeBord/BI
- The BMW X7 is the largest vehicle the Bavarian brand has ever produced.
- We tested a $108,000 BMW X7 XDrive50i, outfitted with a 4.4-liter V8 engine and crammed with technology.
- The BMW X7 is intended to go up against the Mercedes GLS, the Audi Q7, the Volvo XC90, and a host of other premium, seven-seat, full-size SUVs.
- The X7 strays from the Ultimate Driving Machine ethos that defines BMW, but there’s no question that it’s the three-row giant the brand needed, and the price is actually something of a bargain.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
All the major premium automakers have taken the three-row plunge, as SUV sales have taken over the US market. BMW was a laggard; its wonderful X5 was a hit with customers, but the lack of a third row was losing the Bavarians some sales. You could jump from a BMW to Audi and its Q7, if you added a third child to the family or simply wanted to haul some extra friends around.
Enter the X7, BMW’s big boy. He’s a 5,600-lb. baby! BMW let me look after him for a week, and I did my best to see if the guy was as large and in charge as he looked.
Here’s how it went:
Say hello to the Big Bimmer! Our 2019 BMW X7 xDrive50i tester arrived in a dashing "Arctic Gray Metallic" paint job. The X7 is built in South Carolina, and without options, this SUV costs $92,600.
Matt DeBord/BI
We’ll get to the grille in a second. Although right now I’ll say that head-on, the now-familiar, modern, sleek headlights — sophisticated, adaptive LEDs, no less — are completely out of proportion, as is the BMW badge.
Matt DeBord/BI
Side view: Hmmm … Well, the X7 is definitely large. In fact, this is the first BMW I’ve ever tested that has so much physical bulk that you lose the famous "Hofmeister kink" at the end of the side windows.
Matt DeBord/BI
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
- The 20 best airlines in the world for 2019
- I drove a $27,000 Final Edition of the VW Beetle to see if it lives up to its iconic history. Here’s the verdict.
- The 20 airlines with the best first-class experience
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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Matthew DeBord)