Update (September 9, 2024): ‘Alpina iX7 100’ added.
The BMW iX will remain the brand’s only battery-electric SUV in the upper-class segments for the foreseeable future. While early info about the BMW iX6 and the BMW iX7 have emerged, they are not due until the second half of the decade.
In this story, we’ll take you through what’s been reported, our expectations, and what BMW has said about its future SUVs.
Design
BMW seems to be biding its time, awaiting advancements in battery technology and an uptick in demand for large electric SUVs before launching the X5 Electric and X7 Electric models. However, that’s not to say that they’ve done nothing towards these launches.
An Autocar report said in 2020 that an all-electric BMW X7 alternative was already under consideration and that the project was in the early stages, far from the final design lock. The British website’s sources had indicated that the BMW Group had worked on some designs for its largest all-electric SUV.
TopElectricSUV.com’s rendition of the iX7 is imagined as a conversion of the first-gen BMW X7, which seems to align with BMW’s approach for the future model. While an all-electric BMW X7 was inevitable in the long run, the company would play catch up as the competition (Mercedes, Cadillac, Jeep, Lucid, and Land Rover) has begun introducing fully-electrified large SUVs.
A converted X7, our render imagines the iX7 with modified front and rear aprons, an enclosed kidney grille, more aerodynamic wheels, and blue accents all around for a distinctive identity.
Interior & Features
BMW Theatre Screen
The BMW iX7 should feature a lavish interior with an upscale design, expensive materials, and high-tech comfort and convenience features throughout the cabin. From glass applications to a high-tech ambient lighting system and a roof-mounted 8K rear entertainment display (BMW Theatre Screen), the iX7 should come with many of BMW’s recently developed interior features.
Next-gen iDrive & BMW Panoramic Vision
The iX7 should get BMW Panoramic Vision, the company’s next-gen head-up display that projects information across the entire width of the windscreen. This should be in addition to a conventional 3D head-up display. We expect it to feature the latest BMW iDrive with a parallelogram-shaped central display as well.
Premium creature comforts
Wireless smartphone charging pads with cooling, a big panoramic sunroof, massage seats, relaxing soundscapes, and a high-fidelity audio system should be among other noteworthy features of the iX7.
Specifications
The iX7 is expected in 50, 60, M70, and Alpina 100 variants, with all models featuring motors on both axles.
Charging
Given that the BMW iX7 is years away from dealers, safely assume that it will be technologically superior to the BMW i7 or the BMW iX. For reference, in the i7 xDrive60, the onboard AC charger allows topping it up at up to 11 kW, while with a public DC charger, it’s possible to charge at 195 kW, figures that will improve with BMW’s future 800V architecture.
Cells
The iX7 will have a more advanced battery pack consisting of BMW Group’s newly-developed round battery cells. The sixth generation of the company’s lithium-ion cells will offer an improvement of over 20% in energy density, up to 30% in charging speed, and up to 30% in range, Frank Weber, the company’s R&D boss, has said.
The cylindrical cells can allow a 50% reduction in costs, compared to the currently used fifth-gen cells. The new cells are crucial for the company in realizing its goal of bringing the manufacturing costs of EVs to the same level as vehicles with internal combustion engines.
Range
Regardless of the battery type and cell chemistry, customers would expect 300-350 miles of EPA range from a family car like the BMW iX7, and that is likely to be the standard for upper-end luxury SUVs later this decade.
Alpina iX7 100
The BMW iX7 will have an Alpina variant called ‘Alpina iX7 100,’ BMW Blog said in a report on June 7, 2024. The Alpina variant should give the iX7’s most elite clients an elevated sense of luxury with a sportier exterior, a higher-quality interior featuring hand-crafted elements and more amenities, a special sport suspension, and a higher-output powertrain among others.
Rumored to be the most expensive BMW model, it would cost even more than the fully decked out XM Label, which retails at USD 191,825.
Production & Release Date
According to a thread from BimmerPost forum member ynguldyn from September 2022, the BMW iX7 is part of the company’s long-term strategy. ynguldyn, who holds a good track record for revealing BMW’s internal plans, says that the iX7 will share the CLAR platform with the next-gen X7 (G67). Production will be alongside the gas-powered donor at the BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in the U.S. from August 2027.
6 pure-electric BMWs allotted to the U.S. plant
BMW Group plans to manufacture no less than six all-electric models in the U.S. The company is investing USD 1 billion to prepare for EV production at the Spartanburg plant. The batteries for the EVs will come from a nearby battery assembly facility located in Woodruff. The cells will be BMW Group’s newly-developed round units, sourced from a 30 GWh factory owned by Envision AESC, also located in South Carolina.
TopElectricSUV says
As BMW’s first full-size, pure electric three-row SUV, the iX7 will have to compete with some familiar models, most of which would also be made-in-America vehicles. Like its gas-powered sibling, the all-electric X7 should focus on the U.S. market, where large SUVs have greater demand. It should appeal to BMW customers who prefer tough, boxy, and relatively conventional-looking SUVs, and wish to transition to electric mobility.
BMW iX7 FAQs
What is the BMW iX7’s release date?
The BMW iX7 will reportedly start arriving at U.S. dealers in 2027.
What is the expected BMW iX7 price?
The BMW iX7 could start at around $110,000 in the U.S. market.
Which electric SUVs will the BMW iX7 contend with?
Featured image: Rendering of the BMW iX7 by TopElectricSUV is only for illustration and doesn’t preview the actual design.