BMW discontinued diesel engines in the United States after the 2018 model year, citing a combination of low customer demand and stricter regulations. The oil-burner is still offered in many parts of the world, including in Australia where the journalists at CarExpert recently tested the X7 xDrive40d with its mighty 23-inch wheels. While acceleration tests have mostly focused on the new-for-2023 M60i, here is a rare opportunity to see the diesel fullsize SUV in action.
The Munich-based brand says it takes 5.9 seconds for the luxobarge to go from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h), but in typical BMW fashion, the performance is deliberately underrated. The posh mastodont needed only 5.44 seconds to complete the job, while the 50 to 75 mph (80 to 120 km/h) sprint took 3.9 seconds to demonstrate plenty of in-gear punch.
CarExpert was also curious to find out how much road the X7 xDrive40d needed to come to a halt from 62 mph (100 km/h). For a three-row SUV that weighs a whopping 2,490 kilograms (5,489 pounds), it’s impressive to see it came to a full stop in just 36.49 meters, decelerating in only 2.6 seconds. Just for fun, the Aussie folks also floored the throttle in reverse and got up to 22 mph (36 km/h).
The diesel X7 is one of the torquiest BMWs with a combustion engine money can buy, offering an ample 720 Newton-meters (531 pound-feet) from a 3.0-liter inline-six. The Bavarian marque has sunsetted the bonkers quad-turbo M50d version, but few will miss it since the xDrive40d is plenty powerful. Its 3.0-liter has 352 hp (259 kW) after factoring in the mild-hybrid setup.
A diesel engine might seem outdated in 2023, but the reality is a large and heavy vehicle is a perfect match for the low-end torque while keeping fuel consumption at decent levels. The EV charging infrastructure won’t be ready all over the world in the following years, which is why BMW won’t be abandoning ICE anytime soon.
Source: CarExpert / YouTube
