Update: ‘Design’ and ‘Production’ updated.
Despite the recent slowdown in EV adoption globally, BMW Group still plans to offer an EV in every segment in which it currently operates by 2030.
As part of this strategy, the company will introduce a fully electric BMW iX7. Here’s everything that’s been reported and our expectations for the full-size electric SUV.
Design
BMW reportedly plans to launch the iX7 as a derivative of the second-generation X7 and has commenced road tests, revealing preliminary details about its exterior.
As illustrated in our exclusive renderings, the BMW iX7 should feature the new kidney grille, split headlamps with wide, ultra-slim DRLs positioned above boxy headlamp modules containing the low- and high-beam units, and a shorter functional grille at the bottom of the front apron.
According to a BMWBlog report dated August 25, 2026, dealers who received an early preview of the next-gen X7 in Nashville, Tennessee, corroborated that it will retain the split-headlamp setup.
New 23-inch alloy wheels would complement the iX7’s proportions, giving it a more imposing stance. That said, this won’t be a feature unique to the second-gen X7 family, since BMW offers 23-inch rims on the fifth-gen X5 range as well.
Instead of regular or flush handles, BMW would use winglets integrated into the door shoulders, leaving uninterrupted surfaces in the lower half of the panels. Introduced on the Skytop roadster, this feature is now seen on the Speedtop two-door shooting brake and also the mass-produced fifth-gen X5.
An upright rear is expected to maximize space and create a traditional SUV profile, with new combination lamps likely to emphasize both looks and technical sophistication. The aforementioned BMWBlog report also claims that although the X5 no longer has a split tailgate, the X7 will carry over this feature into its second generation.
Bi-color look
As per BMWBlog, the next-gen X7 is set to offer global customers two-tone exterior color options. We imagine that global customers would be able to finish the upper body in contrasting shades for a small premium.
Interior
The BMW iX7 should come with a premium interior with high-grade materials and the company’s latest comfort and convenience features. A slim dashboard and new display concepts may give the cabin a clean look, while a four-spoke steering wheel could establish visual continuity with the eccentric front design.
Features
Panoramic Vision & 3D HUD
Instead of a conventional instrument cluster, the iX7 should feature BMW Panoramic Vision, projecting content in three sections onto a black printed surface that stretches across the width of the lower windshield.
A new BMW 3D head-up display is also expected, presenting driving, navigation, and automated driving information further ahead, in the driver’s field of vision.
BMW iDrive X
The infotainment system may use a 17.9-inch parallelogram-shaped display with matrix backlight technology. Running BMW Operating System X, it should support Zoom, AirConsole, Disney+, YouTube, and other third-party apps.
Passenger Screen
The iX7 will likely feature the BMW Passenger Screen, a 14.6-inch full-HD touchscreen positioned alongside the central display, appearing as an integrated extension of the same panel. This display should allow the front passenger to watch TV shows and movies, play games, and conduct video conferences.
Adaptive ambient lighting
An adaptive ambient lighting system should softly illuminate various areas of the cabin, including the dashboard, front center console, door panels, and the backs of the seats and headrests. It may light up with an intricate alabaster structure in the daytime and generate a dynamic light effect at night.
Customers will likely be able to extend the ambient lighting system to the panoramic glass roof, dubbed ‘Sky Lounge.’ Tens of LED lights would illuminate a graphic structure extending across the length of the glass surface.
Rear seat focus
While we expect advanced ambient lighting and a roof-mounted BMW Theatre Screen, a Bimmerpost forum post claims that soft-close doors will come standard. Automatic doors, which electrically shut when the brake pedal is applied or after a button on the B-pillar is pressed, will also supposedly be an optional feature.
As for the BMW Theatre Screen, it should allow rear passengers to stream 8K videos, make video calls with a built-in camera, and play games via AirConsole and gaming consoles.
ADAS
Advanced driver assistance systems are expected to be standard, supporting semi-autonomous driving at speeds of up to 85 mph on compatible highways. The system may allow drivers to confirm lane changes with an eye signal by glancing at the respective side mirror.
The iX7 should feature Highway and City Assistant, including Entry-2-Exit assistance on highways and Address‑2‑Address assistance in urban areas, as well as Lane Change Warning, Side Collision Warning with steering intervention, Crossing Traffic Warning with automatic braking, and a range of other advanced driver assistance systems.
BMW Alpina iX7 100
The long-established BMW Alpina brand embodies maximum performance and exceptional driving comfort combined with unique options for individualization.
Oliver Zipse, former CEO of BMW Group, discussing additional strategic insights during BMW’s Annual Press Conference 2026 on March 12, 2026
The BMW iX7 will have an Alpina variant, BMWBlog reported on June 7, 2024. The BMW Alpina iX7 100 is expected to include a sportier exterior, a higher-quality interior with handcrafted elements, additional amenities, a sport suspension, and a higher-output powertrain, which is likely to make it the most expensive BMW SUV.
It is not hard to imagine that BMW Alpina’s future X7s would have a more comfort-oriented cabin with two individual seats in the back. They would be positioned above BMW’s top models and below Rolls-Royce.
Maximilian Missoni, who oversees the design of upper midsize and luxury BMWs and Alpina models, has revealed that Alpina products will initially be sold at separate locations inside BMW dealerships, BMWBlog reported on May 23, 2026.
At a later stage, Alpina could get exclusive showrooms to better align with its more upmarket positioning. Missoni said that there could be standalone Alpina locations that are quite differentiated and have special areas to help customers individualize their cars.
Specifications
Platform & Variants
The iX7 will be based on a modified version of the CLAR platform and should launch exclusively in rear-biased dual-motor AWD variants, potentially in 50 xDrive, 60 xDrive, M70, and Alpina 100 configurations. The power output of the 50 or 60 configuration will likely be 570 hp.
Unlike the iX3 and the upcoming iX4 and next-gen iX1, BMW is sticking with a conversion-type platform here because volumes are much lower for its larger SAVs. Combustion models should remain the main sellers for the X5, X6, and X7 lines.
Performance
According to a report BMWBlog published on May 10, 2025, the iX7 M70 may deliver over 800 hp, while the iX7 100 could approach 900 hp. The former may accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in a little over four seconds, while the latter could achieve the sprint in close to 3.5 seconds. Both may have an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.
We expect the iX7 60 to pack 570 hp and 593 lb-ft of torque. That should be sufficient to reach 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 or 4.7 seconds and achieve an electronically limited top speed of 130 mph.
Charging & Range
The iX7 should have a battery pack with an energy storage capacity exceeding 150 kWh, almost certainly the largest ever used in a BMW EV to date, with a module-less structure and cylindrical NMC cells with a diameter of 46 mm and a height of 120 mm.
The operating voltage should be 800 volts, sufficient to charge the battery pack at 460 kW or higher rates and complete a 10-80% session in a little over 20 minutes. At full capacity, it will likely deliver a range of close to 400 miles, sufficient to travel from San Francisco to LA on a single charge.
BMW should equip the iX7 sold in the U.S. and Canada with an NACS charging port, enabling access to thousands of compatible chargers across the two countries, including open-access Tesla Superchargers. The company will likely offer support for Vehicle-to-Load (V2L), Vehicle-to-Home (V2H), and Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) bidirectional charging functions.
Production
Production of the iX7 will take place exclusively at BMW’s plant in Greer (South Carolina), USA, starting in fall 2027. The facility kicks-off EV production with the iX5 in December 2026. Battery packs will be supplied from an in-house facility in Woodruff (South Carolina) located just 15 miles away.
Price & Release Date
At the company’s annual press conference on March 12, 2026, it was officially confirmed that the new X7 will enter production in 2027.
In Spartanburg, the new X5 starts very soon. And next year, the new X7.
Oliver Zipse, former CEO of BMW Group, discussing production and product offensive during BMW’s Annual Press Conference 2026 on March 12, 2026
The company had mentioned investments going into the successors of the X5 and X7 in its half-year report last year as well.
It also includes expenditure related to the development of NEUE KLASSE models such as the BMW iX3 and the successors to the BMW X5 and X7.
BMW, while elaborating on its R&D spends in its half-year report issued on July 30, 2025
The BMW iX7, positioned above the iX5, is expected to start at around USD 100,000, with the BMW Alpina iX7 100 approaching USD 200,000. BMW is likely to launch the new flagship electric model in late 2027, competing with the likes of the Range Rover BEV and the Lucid Gravity.
Featured image: TopElectricSUV’s exclusive illustration of the BMW iX7
International Automotive News Editor since 2014, covering global motor shows, industry events, and test-driving various vehicles, with a focus on hybrid and electric cars in recent years.
