For two decades, the BMW X5 was the automaker’s largest SUV. Sold with standard 5-passenger seating, the X5 offered an optional third-row seat, but it always seemed like an afterthought.
In 2019, BMW introduced the X7, a larger model with a roomier third-row seat and additional cargo space. The BMW X7 counted the Mercedes GLS as its primary rival but also targeted the more expensive versions of the Audi Q7 in addition to traditional luxury SUVs like the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator.
BMW offers the 2023 X7 in xDrive40i, M60i, and Alpina XB7 model series. Prices range from $77,850 to $145,000, plus a destination charge.
Previously, JD Power reviewed the 2019 BMW X7. This review focuses on the X7’s updates for 2023 and how they potentially impact its overall appeal to consumers.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
The BMW X7 competes in the Large Premium SUV market segment. According to data collected from verified new-vehicle buyers for the JD Power 2022 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, 65 percent of new BMW X7 buyers are male (vs. 66 percent for the segment), and the median age of a new X7 buyer is 52 years (vs. 53).
As part of the APEAL Study, owners rated the X7 in 10 primary categories. Listed below in descending order, you’ll find their preferences, from their most favorite thing about the vehicle to their least favorite:
In the 2022 APEAL Study, the X7 ranks fourth out of five Large Premium SUV models.
In the following sections, our independent expert analyzes an X7 xDrive40i equipped with the following options:
The test vehicle’s price was $96,745, including the $995 destination charge.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Lately, BMW has been fiddling with its design recipes. But, love or hate the results, models like the 4 Series and iX are undeniably distinctive and easy to identify as a BMW at no more than a glance. So now, for the 2023 model year, it’s the BMW X7’s turn to get a facelift.
Similar to the latest 7 Series flagship sedan and i7 flagship electric car, the 2023 BMW X7 flagship SUV adopts a sharply drawn front end with four-element running lights and turn signal indicators at the edge of the hood. The headlights live below them, their upper brow wrapping into the air curtains to frame the SUV’s front end. Satin aluminum trim surrounds the grille and anchors the lower portion of the bumper.
The twin-kidney grille is about the same size as before but features a new design with bi-color and chrome bars. Grille illumination is available, and for the first time on a BMW, 23-inch wheels are optional. A set of revised taillights in the back adds what BMW calls “3-D sculpting.” Several new paint colors are also available.
I like the X7’s new look and think these themes work better on the SUV than on the 7 Series and i7. Also, while the test vehicle did not have it, a new M Sport Professional package adds an illuminated grille with a matte black surround, matte black tailpipe finishers, M Sport brakes, and exclusive “BMW M 50 Years” emblems to the X7.
BMW also introduces a new Welcome Scenario feature for 2023. It detects the user’s key fob or smartphone and rouses the X7 as you approach the SUV. Exterior and interior lighting welcome you, the door unlocks, and the instrumentation and infotainment systems activate, loading your personal preferences through the BMW ID settings associated with the key fob or phone.
The 2023 BMW X7 xDrive40i has a new drivetrain supplying more power and improved performance. The turbocharged 3.0-liter inline 6-cylinder engine generates 375 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque, increases of 40 hp and 53 pound-feet over the previous turbo six. In addition, the standard 48-volt mild-hybrid system can boost torque to 398 pound-feet for short periods.
A new 8-speed sport automatic transmission pairs with the mild-hybrid engine, and BMW says it supplies quicker and sharper gear changes. By pulling back on the left shift paddle for a second or more, the driver can activate a Sprint function that:
BMW says the new X7 xDrive40i can accelerate to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds and return 22 mpg in combined city/highway driving. I averaged 21.7 mpg on my evaluation route and can attest that this heavy 3-row luxury SUV feels mighty quick. I can’t imagine anyone would need more power than it provides.
In addition, BMW has also retuned the X7’s adaptive two-axle air suspension to maximize comfort and handling. An Integral Active Steering (rear-wheel steering) system is standard with the M60i and is part of the xDrive40i’s Dynamic Handling package. It increases maneuverability at low speeds and aids stability at higher velocities.
Similarly, Active Comfort Drive with Road Preview is standard on the M60i and is part of the xDrive40i’s Dynamic Handling package. It adds active roll stabilization to the X7 and adjusts the suspension based on how you drive the SUV, navigation data, and camera information. In turn, it automatically delivers the best balance between ride comfort and handling capability.
BMW says the latter technology also helps to eliminate “head toss,” which happens when lateral ride motions caused by uneven pavement toss occupants’ heads from side to side. This phenomenon frequently made the previous X7 unpleasant to drive and ride in, and in this new model, the SUV remains too soft and wallowy when the suspension is in Comfort mode. Fortunately, you can use the Individual setting to configure Sport mode for the suspension and Comfort for everything else. That solves the problem without forcing you to live with Sport mode settings across the board.
Notably, the optional 23-inch wheels don’t degrade the ride quality. They wear 275/35 front and 315/30 rear tires and should transmit sharper bumps, cracks, and holes directly to the interior. Yet they don’t. What kind of BMW voodoo is this?
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
BMW is rolling out its new Curved Display technology as fast as possible, and the 2023 X7 is one of the beneficiaries of this next-generation system. It marries a 12.3-inch Live Cockpit Professional digital instrument panel to a 14.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with both displays residing underneath a single piece of curved anti-reflective glass.
Highlights of the touchscreen infotainment system include:
Upgrades include:
The instrumentation, infotainment, and head-up displays are configurable to personal preferences. It takes quite some time to go through all the possibilities and decide how you wish to set things up. However, it is worth it.
BMW says the 2023 X7 gets an upgraded Intelligent Personal Assistant that responds to a wider variety of naturally spoken commands. Based on my evaluation, it performs exceptionally well.
The new X7 also has a standard personal eSIM card with 5G connectivity and a 5G antenna. That allows you to add the X7 to your mobile service contract, log in via your BMW ID, and use the SUV like your device even if you don’t have your smartphone.
Of course, if you use the BMW Digital Key Plus technology to unlock, start, and re-lock the X7, you’ll have an Apple iPhone along for the ride. (BMW’s digital key technology is not available for Android devices.) Parents can also use this technology to limit the X7’s engine power, vehicle speed, stereo volume, and other settings.
My test vehicle had the augmented-view navigation system upgrade. It superimposes navigation directions on a forward camera view to show the driver which lanes to choose and where the next turn will be. It is particularly helpful after dark.
In addition, a Parking Assistant Professional option package is available for the X7. If someone takes your X7 without permission, this upgrade includes a Remote Theft Recorder function that uses the front, rear, and side mirror cameras to record where the X7 is traveling. It sends the footage to the owner’s smartphone for safe-keeping and, apparently, future use in recovering the vehicle and prosecuting the thief.
BMW upgrades the X7’s advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for 2023. For example, a new intersection turn assistance function better recognizes oncoming vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists to help prevent collisions at these busy street junctions. Additionally, a new Exit Warning feature tells occupants when it might be unsafe to open a door and leave the SUV.
Trailer Assistant is new for 2023. It is a semi-autonomous steering function that helps the driver to reverse the X7 with a trailer attached. The driver turns the iDrive control knob on the center console in the direction the trailer should take, and the X7 translates these instructions into steering inputs that achieve the directive.
Maneuver Assistant is also new. It allows X7 owners to save the exact movements necessary to travel a path up to 656 feet in length. For example, you may frequently need to negotiate a narrow, winding hillside driveway with stone walls on either side. With Manuever Assistant, you can save the top or bottom of the driveway as a starting point, record a successful pass, and save it to the system. In the future, Maneuver Assistant will handle the task for you, repeating the saved movements even if you’re standing outside the vehicle using the My BMW app and an iPhone.
Later in 2023, BMW will add a new Remote Control Parking function to Maneuver Assistant. Highway Assistant also debuts later this year, providing X7 owners with a hands-free driving-assistance system similar to what you’ll find in the Cadillac Escalade (Super Cruise) and Lincoln Navigator (ActiveGlide).
The test vehicle did not have these new mid-year tech upgrades. However, thanks to the optional Driving Assistance Professional option package, it had everything else BMW offers on the X7.
I used this technology extensively and highly rate the X7’s ADAS collection. The systems work in a smooth, accurate, and refined manner, whether you are navigating heavy to moderate traffic or driving at speed on a wide-open freeway. The X7 test vehicle also had Assist Plus, a hands-free traffic-jam assistance feature that works at speeds under 37 mph. Unfortunately, during my evaluation, it did not work in the hands-free mode for extended distances.
My primary complaint about the X7’s ADAS pertains to its automated lane-change assistance function. When using the adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance features, lane-change assistance will help you steer into the adjacent lane when you signal your intention to do so. However, if you’re impatient and don’t wait for the feature to assess whether the coast is clear, it will actively try to discourage a lane change.
The driver can override the tech’s corrective action, but it is nevertheless aggravating. For example, when you need to quickly change lanes to make room for vehicles merging onto a highway, you can check your mirror, signal, and move over. But with lane-change assistance active, this action turns into a brief fight with the tech.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
The first time I drove a BMW X7, I wasn’t impressed. However, the changes for 2023 have me singing a different tune, and now I think the X7 is one of the best choices in its segment.
I’d much rather drive this quick, nimble, comfortable, high-tech, and surprisingly efficient BMW than a lumbering Cadillac Escalade, Jeep Grand Wagoneer, or Lincoln Navigator. And, with its new Curved Display technology and more expressive design, I prefer the 2023 BMW X7 to its arch-rival, the Mercedes GLS.
Christian Wardlaw is a veteran digital automotive journalist with over 25 years of experience in test-driving vehicles. In addition toJDPower.com, his work has appeared in numerous new- and used-car buying guides, newspapers, and automotive industry trade journals. Google him to learn more.
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