Biggest BMW SUV to land here next year

Thursday, 18 October 2018

'It brings everything about a Seven Series into a sports activity vehicle.'

Comment from BMW New Zealand spokesman Paul Sherley, following on from the global unveiling of the X7 - the brand's largest sports utility wagon yet - suggests big hopes for this large, up-scale prestige model.

While the local operation is not yet prepared to discuss volume for a vehicle expected to be available to Kiwis in the second quarter of 2019, Sherley's enthusiasm for the product's potential is plain.

Made in - and for - America, the X7 is big and bold.

That's easily understood. Sports utilities - SAVs in BMW-speak - are the hottest product in the NZ new vehicle market and this brand has not been missing out on the windfall.

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There will be no shortage of leg room in the rear two rows of seats thanks to that considerable length.

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The type accounted for more than 50 per cent of the brand's annual volume in NZ last year, a penetration expected to lift even further now that the latest X3 is in the market.

Being big and imposing is a priority in the large luxury SUV segment and the X7 nails that.

On top of this, BMW will by Christmas also have for local sale the new-generation of the X5, which has always been its best-selling soft-roader locally.

The official images of the X7 provided here suggest it will be a force to be reckoned with and not just because of its imposing styling and obvious substance.

Super luxury doesn't always mean tasteful - the X7's crystal-style gear knob effortlessly proves that.

'It's something new for us. It brings a whole new level of luxury, design and presence to our SAV lineup,' comments Sherley.

Although the launch line-up has yet to be confirmed, it seems reasonable to assume the local market powertrain options will be akin to those with the latest X5.

The X7's styling has been considerably toned down from the original concept's bold vertical lines.

Thus, diesels into market first, in the form of the xDrive30d and M50d, with petrol variants, ultimately including a plug-in hybrid xDrive45e, coming later in 2019.

NZ seems set to be among first right-hand drive markets, Sherley saying that while he cannot provide an exact release date 'it launches globally in March and we will be in line with that timing.'

The model sources from BMW's plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, which is already responsible for producing the X3, X4, X5 and X6.

At 5151mm long, 2000mm wide, 1805mm tall and with a 3105mm wheelbase, the X7 will certainly overshadow those products in dimension.

The upsize isn't just for oneupsmanship. The model is designed to deliver three rows of seats designed for adult occupancy. The seating plan will provision either a two- or three-seat second row and a two-seat third row.

That all seats are heated, while the front seats can be optioned with ventilation and massage functionality, reflects that this is not likely to be a vehicle for the budget-minded.

BMW has provisioned a heap of cosseting comforts and high technology. Headlamps that are LED as standard also option in laser high-beam lamps, to extend the lighting range to 600m, the base wheels are 20 inch and all versions will take the Live Cockpit Professional instrumentation that consists of two 12.3-inch displays.

Infotainment is powered by BMW's Operating System 7.0, with over-the-air software updates to become available over time and it has an Intelligent Personal Assistant able to control most vehicle functions via the voice prompt 'Hey BMW' and predict driver requirements via artificial intelligence.

Keyless entry and start using a traditional key fob is availed, though Samsung Galaxy smartphone users can instead operate the vehicle using their device's Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, if running Android 8.0 software or higher.

The base sound system has 10 speakers; you can double that quota if it sounds weedy. A pair of 10.2-inch touchscreens with a Blu-ray-compatible player, two USB ports, an HDMI port and two auxiliary inputs can be added to the second row as part of an optional package that also adds USB connectivity to the third row.

The standard panoramic sunroof can be optioned with Sky Lounge, which adds LED lights across the glass surface to illuminate more than 15,000 graphic patterns and create a lighting display similar to a starlit sky.

Four-zone climate control is regular fit, but a fifth zone can be added, with it bundling in air vents and a control panel for the third row. The front cupholders can optionally keep drinks cool or warm.

Cargo capacity is just 326 litres with all six or seven seats in place, but can expand to 750 litres and 2120 litres when the second and third rows are stowed respectively. Those chairs are, of course, power-operated.

Driver-assist systems include low-speed autonomous braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, active blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, speed limit recognition, park assist and driver attention detection, as well as lane-keep, steering and emergency assists.

An Emergency Driving Assistant will bring the X7 to a halt should the driver become incapacitated due to a medical emergency. The hazard lights come on and the vehicle has capability to self-call an emergency service.

It has the smarts to undertake autonomous lane changing between 70-100kmh and to steer in reverse for up to 50 metres along the exact same path at speeds up to 9kmh.

BMW says launch powertrains comprise two versions of its 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder diesel engine - an xDrive30d with 195kW/620Nm and the other, in M50d quad turbo format, with 294kW/760Nm. The petrol editions comprise a 250kW/450Nm six-cylinder xDrive40i and the 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 340kW/650Nm xDrive50i, which can sprint to 100kmh from a standstill in 5.4 seconds.

All engines operate through an upgraded eight-speed torque-convertor automatic transmission and take the rear-biased xDrive all-wheel-drive system with variable torque distribution.

Claimed fuel consumption on the combined cycle test ranges from 6.5 litres per 100 kilometres (xDrive30d) to 11.4L/100km (xDrive50i). CO2 emissions are between 171 grams per kilometre (xDrive30d) and 261g/km (xDrive50i).

The X7 lands at a busy time for BMW NZ, Sherley says. Also releasing around this period are the new 3-Series, the 8-Series and the Z4.

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