BMW X7 review

To give it its due, the X7 perfectly illustrates why plush SUVs have become the new luxury saloons. It completely swallows distance. Quietness, a plush ride, huge living space and a haughty vantage point define the experience. An added bonus is that once you're inside it, you don't have to look at the exterior.

What about the sporty one?

It may come with a sporting bodykit and carbon fibre mirror caps, but the M60i is far from a full-fat M car. Don’t get us wrong, the twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 is fantastic and manages to drag the 2,675kg X7 from a standstill to 62mph in a frankly ludicrous 4.7 seconds. It has some character too: whack it in the sportiest of modes and there’s plenty of good noise. Even a few pops and bangs on the overrun, which is a little odd in a giant three-row SUV.

But it’ll also settle into a smooth rhythm combined with the brilliant eight-speed auto gearbox, and the M60i will ride on a wave of 553lb ft of torque. Even with the adaptive air suspension (with its five different ride height settings) and limited-slip diff you’re unlikely to be attacking too many apexes.

You’re better off avoiding Sport+ mode and focusing on Comfort, with its light steering and floaty ride... even on the standard 22-inch wheels. Take a more leisurely approach and the X7 steers with measured authority, rolling surprisingly little and holding onto an impressive dignity as it sweeps through bends.

What are the other engines like? 

Good question. There are just two others available, a petrol and diesel that both feature 3.0-litre inline 6cyl setups. The diesel might be the better bet, with its 335bhp and hefty 531lb ft. That claims 0-62mph in just 5.9s and a more than ample top speed of 152mph. It’s also over 100kg lighter than the V8-engined M60i. Claimed fuel consumption is around 33mpg, and we got around 30mpg in our time with this car. Respectable for such a behemoth.

The 40i gets 375bhp and 398lb ft, with a 0-62mph taking 5.8s and an electronically-limited top whack of 155mph. It’s unlikely you’d want to travel any faster than that in something of this size. WLTP consumption on this model is 27mpg, so you’re looking at low 20s real world.

Also worth noting that even on the six-cylinder engines you can spec an ‘M Sport Package Pro’ that adds the M60i’s impressive M Sport brakes and a noisier exhaust.

The X7 is massive, isn’t it?

You hardly need us to tell you the X7 is annoyingly bulky in city centres. Or car parks. Or chocolate box Brit villages. But it does its best to help you with an imperious seating position, slabby sides and cameras pointing in every direction. The optional four-wheel steering (standard on the M60i) shrinks the turning circle too.

BMW's 'reversing assistant' also helps. It keeps a rolling memory of your exact steering movements for 50 metres. Drive forward into a difficult space or up a narrow lane, and it'll steer you slowly back along exactly the same track.

For reference though, an X7 is just over 5.0 metres long, exactly 2.0 metres wide and over 1.8 metres tall.