BMW had announced at the beginning of last month that it will assemble the X7 at BMW Group Plant Chennai starting in 2019. At the end of the month, the company held the Indian premiere of the flagship SUV in the M50d variant at the annual India Art Fair. Here are the live images from the event, courtesy Facebook user Vikers Car.
The X7 is BMW’s take at the Mercedes GLS that has dominated the full-size luxury SUV segment for years now. It rivals the Range Rover and Lexus LX as well, and internationally, the competitors include even the typically American Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator.
According to John Shipley, the BMW X7 is all about flexibility. Three rows with seven (as standard) or six (optionally) seats, 326 litres of load capacity increasable all the way up to 2,120 litres, standard air suspension to lower the vehicle as required, etc. is what its Product Specialist (at BMW of North America) is referring to when he says that. There are four engine options available, all six- or eight-cylinder units. Below are their specifications and availability details (not officially confirmed) for our market.
BMW X7 - Model Variants
- xDrive40i (from September) - 3.0L petrol engine (340 PS/450 Nm), 8-speed automatic transmission, AWD
- xDrive50i (not for India) - 4.4L petrol engine (462 PS/650 Nm), 8-speed automatic transmission, AWD
- xDrive30d (from September) - 3.0L diesel engine (265 PS/620 Nm), 8-speed automatic transmission, AWD
- M50d (from launch) - 3.0L diesel engine (400 PS/760 Nm), 8-speed automatic transmission, AWD
On the outside, the BMW X7 features LED headlamps with laser high-beam, 22-inch alloy wheels and slim LED rear lights. Interior highlights include a three-part panoramic glass roof, Panorama glass roof Sky Lounge, five-zone automatic climate control and BMW Live Cockpit Professional comprising a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch central display.
Also Read: BMW announces X4 launch in India, confirms local assembly
BMW will launch the X7 in India on the 31st of this month, likely for a price sticker of over INR 1.5 crore (ex-showroom Delhi). The company will likely import it in CBU form initially and switch to local assembly a few months later. Deliveries won’t commence before March.
[Image Source: facebook.com]
