BMW X7 review

• For: Quality, interior space, ride comfort
• Against: Expensive, very big on British roads
• Verdict: Good things come in large packages

The X7 is the antithesis of a compact crossover. It’s an unashamedly big, bold SUV that has much in common with the tech-laden BMW 7 Series – including an unmissable front grille.

At 5.1 metres long and two metres wide, the BMW dwarfs even the Audi Q7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS. As a result, it’s arguably too big for British roads.

Not that anyone in the seven full-size seats will have cause for complaint. Most engines are 3.0-litre six-cylinder motors, either a 340hp petrol in the xDrive40i or a 265hp diesel in the xDrive30d.

The 400hp M50d diesel has now been discontinued, so the sole flagship X7 is the M50i petrol – powered by a mighty 530hp V8.

To drive, the X7 is predictably opulent, bordering on regal. BMW has borrowed expertise from Rolls-Royce to create a luxury SUV that insulates its occupants from the outside world.

All versions are quick, but the M50i reaches 62mph in a feisty 4.7 seconds.

You may not like the brashness of the X7, but there are few better ways to travel. Except perhaps in a Rolls-Royce…

KEY INFO

• Launched: 2019
• Facelifted: TBC
• Due for replacement: TBC