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<\/p>\n\n BMW\u2019s biggest SUV gets fresh tech and design details without going full Neue Klasse <\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/author\/chris-chilton-cc\/
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by Chris Chilton<\/a><\/p>\n 29 minutes ago<\/p>\n BMW<\/a>\u2019s next M Performance X7 SUV has been caught on test at the Nurburgring.<\/p>\n The flagship SUV keeps V8 power while gaining BMW\u2019s latest cabin technology.<\/p>\n An electric iX7 is coming too, plus an Alpina flagship for really wealthy buyers.<\/p>\n BMW might be pushing hard into its Neue Klasse era, but its biggest SUV isn\u2019t throwing everything familiar in the bin. Fresh spy shots show the next X7<\/a> pounding around the Nurburgring in M Performance tune, complete with four very visible, very rumbly exhaust pipes confirming V8 power will survive for a few more years yet.<\/p>\n Related: iX5 Too Small? BMW\u2019s iX7 Electric Flagship Should Fit The Bill<\/a><\/p>\n Unlike the dramatically transformed new X5<\/a>, the X7\u2019s exterior makeover looks relatively restrained. Think more along the lines of BMW\u2019s latest 7-Series update, with the existing proportions and split-headlight theme evolving rather than being replaced by the cleaner Neue Klasse face.<\/p>\n SH Proshots<\/p>\n The kidney grilles will remain oversized, with illumination an option, but if the latest 7-Series is any guide, the grille bars will run horizontally, not vertically, to emphasize the SUV\u2019s width.\u00a0<\/p>\n And even if it doesn\u2019t go full Neue Klasse, there are some new-era BMW<\/a> touches hiding beneath the camouflage. The prototype appears set to adopt the little wing-like door releases seen on the latest X5 instead of conventional handles. The two rear light clusters will also stretch right across the rear lift gate until they\u2019re almost touching, just like on an X3 or X5.<\/p>\n Panoramic iDrive<\/p>\n
Inside, the transformation should be much more dramatic, with BMW\u2019s Panoramic iDrive spreading information across the base of the windshield. The new interior tech<\/a> setup debuted on the iX3 last fall, but is now being rolled out across BMW\u2019s lineup. The pillar-to-pillar gauge cluster is backed by a tablet touchscreen and separate head-up display.<\/p>\n This particular prototype grabbed our attention because its quad exhausts point toward a successor to today\u2019s M60i, which could get an M70 badge. The current SUV uses a mild-hybrid 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 producing 523 hp (530 PS), and the next model is expected to stick with eight-cylinders and push towards, or maybe even beyond, 600 hp (608 PS). Lower-ranking X7s will get mild-hybrid<\/a> six-piston power with up to 395 hp (400 PS) based on current X5 specs, and a first-ever PHEV derivative is even a possibility. As a point of reference, the top X5 plug-in makes 483 hp (490 PS).<\/p>\n Alpina Goes Beyond X7<\/p>\n SH Proshots<\/p>\n The M70 won\u2019t necessarily be king of the X7 hill either. Alpina \u2013 now fully in BMW\u2019s control \u2013 is expected to produce another XB7, giving buyers who consider an ordinary V8-powered, three-row BMW insufficiently extravagant somewhere else to deposit a large pile of money. That could mean the end of the road for the controversial XM.<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/X7-scoop-Aug25261-1024x576.jpg\")
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