BMW X7, XM to launch in India in December

BMW India is lining up four new launches that will join its luxury segment in the coming months — th

BMW India is lining up four new launches that will join its luxury segment in the coming months — the X7 and XM SUVs, and the new 7 Series and i7 sedans. The former two are set to come here before the sedans around mid-December. The German carmaker’s iX electric SUV has been a sell out and the carmaker has also seen strong demand for the older-gen X7 SUV.

BMW all-new 7 Series, the new i7 electric sedan, the facelifted X7 and even the XM super-SUV are all lined up for launch in quick succession. Here, we take a close look at each of these upcoming BMWs in India.

The X7 is the only car in this lot that will be a facelift, but it brings with it a fundamental change in styling. Unveiled in April this year, the X7 facelift gets a completely redesigned front fascia while also debuting the brand’s new split headlamp design. The interior also sees a major update with BMW’s latest curved infotainment screen that comprises a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch touchscreen — running the latest iDrive 8 software.

In India, the X7 will be offered in xDrive 40i and xDrive 30d guise. The former gets a 380hp, inline six-cylinder petrol engine, while the latter uses a 352hp, inline six-cylinder diesel engine — up by 40hp and 87hp over their current spec in India, respectively. Both the engines are coupled with 48V mild-hybrid tech and come mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox with all-wheel drive as standard.

The XM is only the second bespoke BMW Motorsport product since the mid-engined M1 supercar of the late 1970s. Unveiled just earlier last month, the XM is the first M model with a plug-in hybrid powertrain — it combines a twin-turbo 483hp, 4.4-litre V8 engine with mild-hybrid tech. A single electric motor is bolted inside the 8-speed automatic gearbox that further produces 194hp, for a total power output of 653hp. Torque figure stands at 800Nm combined, and it can even be run in pure EV mode with a range of up to 80km.

Sized similarly to the X7, the XM sure looks radical and will divide opinions on its styling. The interior, however, has a familiar BMW layout, although the rear seating area has been devised as an ‘M Lounge’, placing more of an overt focus on occupant comfort than any M car before it. It also gets the latest iDrive 8 system with the widest range of driver assistance systems ever installed in a BMW vehicle.