2023 BMW X7 Gets Split Headlights, Better Tech and Mild-Hybrid Engines
The refreshed X7's updated powertrains and infotainment tech should make up for its more controversial styling.
BMW's styling has been getting continuously more controversial with every redesigned model, and the 2023 X7 facelift is the first production car to wear the brand's new split headlight design, which was previewed by last year's extremely divisive Concept XM. But I gotta say, I really like how the refreshed X7 looks, and it packs a bunch of nice changes under the skin.
The biggest change to the X7's exterior are those split lights, which have the LED running lights in a slim housing at the top of the nose and the main beams behind tinted glass in a separate housing lower down in the face. The 2023 X7 also gets larger kidney grilles with optional illumination, a redesigned fascia with fanglike elements, a new diffuser and updated taillights with a cool 3D effect. Fourteen standard colors are on offer, including a couple new shades, and BMW Individual offers 40 additional paints on request. Wheels up to 23 inches in size are available (a first for BMW), as is a more aggressive M Sport styling package.
The new curved screen looks fab.
New to the X7 is BMW's fantastic curved display first seen on the iX, which is made up of a 12.3-inch gauge cluster and 14.9-inch central touchscreen behind one piece of glass. The dashboard has been redesigned to have cool slim air vents and much fewer buttons, as the climate controls are now found in the new iDrive 8 infotainment system. The X7 also gets an ambient light bar across the dash, gear selector buttons instead of the old shift knob, standard heated multicontour front seats and new trim options.
The X7 lineup now consists of xDrive40i and M60i models, but the latter sadly doesn't have a V12 engine. The 40i uses a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 engine with a new 48-volt mild-hybrid system that makes 375 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque, increases of 40 hp and 51 lb-ft over last year's model. The M60i uses a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 like the previous M50i model, but it also has a new mild-hybrid setup; output is unchanged at 523 hp and 553 lb-ft. All-wheel-drive is standard across the board, and both models use an eight-speed automatic transmission that has a new Sprint function that drops the transmission to the lowest possible gear when the left paddle is held.
Gotta love matte blue.
Standard on the M60i and available in a Dynamic Handling Package on the 40i are variable ratio steering with rear-axle steering and road-scanning suspension with active anti-roll bars. Other newly standard features are a digital tire diagnosis system, safe exit warning and automated emergency braking with enhanced collision warning. New options include augmented-reality navigation, an enhanced digital key and the same automated parking assist features from the upcoming 7 Series. The integrated voice assistant can perform a number of new functions like opening the windows and sunroof, and the iDrive system has 5G connectivity.
The 2023 X7 will reach dealers in the US this fall. The xDrive40i starts at $78,845 including destination, an increase of $2,950, while the $104,095 M60i costs $3,300 more than the outgoing M50i. BMW says the refreshed Alpina XB7 will be out in early 2023 after debuting later this year.
