The X7 SUV debuted for 2019 as an entirely new model to the BMW lineup. It’s the largest vehicle the brand has ever built, and it offers three rows of seating with a choice of six-or seven-passenger configurations. Built at BMW’s Spartanburg, South Carolina, plant, the X7 is available as the 335-horsepower xDrive40i with a turbocharged inline-six, 456-horsepower xDrive50i with a twin-turbo V8, and the 523-horsepower M50i with a twin-turbo V8. All three versions use an eight-speed automatic transmission and have all-wheel drive.

The race for grille-size supremacy rages on, the BMW X7’s massive maw one of the largest entries yet. BMW

Until recently, BMW had long been minimizing the size of its traditional kidney-shaped front grille openings for a bevy of reasons, including aerodynamics. A prominent, tall grille punches a larger hole through the air, creating more aerodynamic drag and poor aero efficiency. 

Clearly, that’s not a concern here, as the X7—as well as the new 7 series sedan—wears an oversized grille. The prow is polarizing, but distinctively BMW. The remainder of the exterior is attractive with ample glass for commanding views outward, a jaunty up-kick at the side windows, slick LED taillights and proper proportions from the side. 

Inside, the X7 borrows heavily from both the recently-redesigned X5 SUV, a slightly smaller two-row vehicle, and the new 7-series top sedan; two excellent donor subjects from which to borrow. And the build quality of this U.S.-built BMW is every bit as good as the best from Munich. 

Digital instruments and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen take up most of the dashboard. Apple CarPlay, a wireless smartphone charging pad, Wi-Fi, navigation, and an audio system with ten speakers are all standard. BMW

The dashboard, controls, switches and infotainment interface all perform admirably. However, some of the switchgear is no better than the hardware found on the least-costly 1- or 3-series. What is suitable in a $30,000 car is not so suitable in one costing over $100,000. 

With such a large vehicle, one expects ample passenger room. Upfront, the X7 is just the right size. The second-row, however, is a bit small, not much bigger than the second-row in BMW’s smaller X5 SUV. It can be increased, but only by adjusting the second-row seats rearward and sacrificing third-row legroom, which is otherwise quite good. One gripe: The power adjustment for the second-row seating to allow third-row access is far too lethargic. Meantime, the multi-adjustable (20-way) front seats earn accolades as some of the very best in all of car-dom.  

Three-row vehicles offer the promise of additional passenger capacity, but that convenience often comes at the cost of second-row legroom. BMW

No one should expect a luxury SUV to handle twisty roads with the agility of a sports car. Manage those expectations, and you’ll find that the X7’s road behavior–be it on the straight and tedious stuff, or the curvy and challenging–is impressive. An adaptive suspension that uses air springs and adjustable shocks create a smooth ride in Comfort mode and tauter in Sport. 

The X7 is no Ferrari in the twisty bits, but then no Ferrari weighs 5,500 pounds or offers a third-row seat. With all that stated, however, BMW is known as the company that invented the sports sedan, a breed that delivers sports car agility in a more practical body type. So, if you’re expecting an extension of that tradition here, you should look towards the hotter iterations of BMW’s smaller SUVs like the X3 and X4 and others. 

Who could imagined a couple of decades ago that large SUVs could offer such high levels of comfort and sportiness? BMW

Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has yet tested the X7 for crash ratings. However, it comes standard with active safety features like lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control with automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring. 

The only solid demerit in the X7’s driving behavior is one I’ve noticed a couple of other new BMWs, too. While it’s equipped with lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist, the system sometimes injects an errant steering input that needs driver correction. I never found it to put the vehicle in harm’s way, but it does keep you on your toes.  

The standard 335-horsepower 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 engine of the xDrive 40i, the twin-turbo 456-horse 4.4-liter V8 of the xDrive 50i and the 523-horsepower version of the same V8 in the top-tier M50i all mate to an 8-speed automatic transmission with permanent all-wheel drive. Though the 40i model reaches 60 mph in about six seconds, the 50i makes the same trip in about five seconds. Yes, acceleration from the M50i is on the order of a muscle car’s pace, BMW claiming it can do the same in 4.5 seconds.

But I’m not sure the additional $20,000 for the 50i over the 40i is worth the surplus in grunt. The M50i requires an additional premium of about $7000, but at that point matters of thrift and logic are largely irrelevant. The rest of the X7’s goodness (and the few shortcomings) are not due to what lies under the hood.