Mere hours after BMW officially confirmed a second-generation X7, the full-size SUV has made its spy photo debut. Although the luxobarge is cloaked in camouflage, a few interesting details stand out. For example, the quad exhaust system all but confirms this is an M Performance model. Sorry to disappoint you, but a full-fat X7 M isn’t happening. As with all future gas versions, the not-quite-M model is dropping the “i” from its name. Look for the hot version to simply be called the X7 M60 xDrive.
The profile gives the impression that we’re looking at a larger vehicle than the current model. This prototype appears to have a slightly bigger quarter glass, suggesting a more spacious cabin with additional rear legroom. The door handles aren’t where you’d expect them, because the new X7 adopts the small winglets on the beltline already seen on the next-gen X5. This minimalist setup was first applied to the Vision Neue Klasse X and the M8-based Skytop.
Split Headlights Again?
Let’s talk about the lights. Looking at these spy shots, we’d usually be tempted to say the X7 retains the unusual split headlight layout introduced with the G07’s Life Cycle Impulse in 2022. However, the daytime running lights, which, as usual, double as turn signals, are also mounted low on the front fascia, next to the main beams. The DRLs have a rather unusual design, with two separate, almost perpendicular bars.
However, BMW might be trying to fool us. These are clearly temporary headlights, and we remember that early prototypes of the 7 Series G70 didn’t show their separate DRLs either. There might be an upper strip of lights on the bumper’s top section, but perhaps the camouflage obscures it? We think it would be odd to mount all the lights so low on such a tall SUV. That would probably look awkward.
Dare we say the kidney grille is nicely proportioned, though it’s certainly not small. At the rear, the taillights look basic, but that’s because they’re also temporary. It stands to reason that the production lights will extend onto the tailgate, which likely retains the split-opening design, judging by how the camouflage is interrupted. This test vehicle is missing the red reflectors located above those massive quad exhaust tips.
BMW cleverly disguised the prototype with extra panels held by black rivets. The rear pillars are clearly hidden under thicker cladding, suggesting the glass area aft of the rear doors is larger than it appears. Blue brake calipers and 22-inch wheels wrapped in Continental winter tires hint at an M Sport Package.
V8 Power Planned
Since we’ve already established this is an M Lite model, there’s likely a brawny V8 under the hood. The new S68 engine already powers today’s X7 M60i, so its successor will probably keep the mild-hybrid 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8. It produces 523 horsepower in the current car and a massive 631 hp in the ALPINA XB7.
Although the X7 will retain all eight cylinders in the United States, that might not be the case in Europe. The EU’s stricter emissions regulations could force BMW to limit the posh family hauler to six-cylinder engines. We’ve heard Munich has already decided against a plug-in hybrid, echoing the current model. If you’re seeking efficiency on the Old Continent, a six-cylinder diesel is planned for the X7 40d xDrive.
iDrive X Coming To The New BMW X7
Car paparazzi didn’t get a look inside the new X7, which reportedly goes by the internal codename “G67.” However, the iDrive 8.5 system is clearly gone, as there’s no dual-screen setup protruding from the dashboard. Instead, BMW’s future flagship SUV will switch to iDrive X, featuring a large central display, possibly measuring 17.9 inches. The three-row behemoth will replace the traditional digital instrument cluster with Panoramic Vision. It’s marketing speak for a projection at the base of the windshield with three fixed tiles in front of the driver and six customizable sections to the right.
BMW is also working on a new 3D head-up display, which would logically appear in its biggest SUV. One thing you won’t find in the second-generation X7 is a rotary knob for iDrive. The physical dial is on its way out, and we’ve learned that all products with iDrive X will forgo it entirely.
The Next-Gen BMW X7 Is Roughly Two Years Away
The “G67” is expected to enter series production in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in August 2027, making it a 2028MY in the United States. A fully electric iX7 based on the same CLAR platform is also in the pipeline, featuring the next-gen batteries and motors debuting in the Neue Klasse iX3 crossover and i3 sedan. Sitting underneath the BMW Group umbrella, ALPINA will also offer its own gas and electric versions of the X7, under a different codename: “G69.”
