By Tony C. Lesesne
I’ve tested just about everything on the market and have lots of sources to reflect from but I can safely say that the BMW X7 M50i is a wonder to behold. No kidding. This is the largest luxury SUV I’ve tested this year and it is simply overwhelming in its size, style and its amazing interior with detailed expressions of elegance and sportiness that could easily inspire awe.
DESIGN
From looking at the front you can see that the X7 M50i has a sportier appearance package that enhances the airflow and cooling. It looks big, but not bulky. Instead, this forward-leaning luxury SUV takes on a sport-car demeanor in a stylish, larger-than usual body that suggest you take it to the race track rather than around the corner to the grocery store.
PERFORMANCE
The best thing- in my humble opinion about the performance is the choice of driving modes you can pick from. The Comfort driving mode was my personal favorite but the Sport mode adds fun and I even dare say even more exciting. Under the hood, the 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 gets a number of performance upgrades, or the M Performance TwinPower Turbo technology package. The upgrades means the engine can produce 523 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. You feel its always ready for takeoff with the eight-speed automatic pushing power down and into the rear-biased all-wheel-drive system that BMW has tested at 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds.
The transmission is finely tuned and – well, get this, it has paddles shifters available for manual shifting and believe me, I tried, and I LOVED it. I’m still dazed from the thought of something this big and luxurious being bold enough to challenge drivers to use those paddle shifters. It responds as good or better than any larger SUV I’ve tested in recent years. The all-wheel-drive system transfers 100 percent of available torque to the rear wheels when all-wheel traction isn’t needed. The standard wheels are 20-inch alloys wrapped in 275/45 all-season run-flats. The M Dynamic Handling package at $4,750 has big M sport brakes, an M Sport differential, and active steering. Gas mileage is about 15 miles per gallon in the city, 21 on the highway, and 17 combined, not the best in the segment but not the worst.
INSIDE
Inside, M logos abound, from the door sill plates to the steering wheel, and the shift knob. Finally, the seats are covered in perforated premium leather with contrast stitching. Since this is the largest BMW ever made, you’ll notice that the front-seat passengers get to enjoy the standard 20-way power seats. Second-row passengers, ride on a standard three-across bench, while the third row is a bit more limited (as all third rows) but it seats at least seven people.
Three-rows give you enough for seven (a whole team)
The X7 gets the brand’s seventh-generation iDrive infotainment system, featuring two large 12.3-inches sharp screens, dynamic and impressive graphics and plenty of options. Both interior’s screens are large and impress with their sharpness and vivid colors. There’s plenty of space for your cell phone with wireless charging and wireless Apple CarPlay. 4G LTE Wi-Fi connectivity also comes standard (with the $80 per year subscription.)
CONCLUSION
Yes, this is an amazing machine with quality, great performance and style integrated in nearly every inch of it. Its one of the most expensive three-row luxury SUV’s on the market with the version I tested priced around $92,600 but you get what you pay for and in this case, you get as 21 Savage says…A LOT!!