Next-generation X7 will spawn the first ever iX7 and we’ve got the pictures to prove it
by Chris Chilton
10 hours ago
- BMW’s first ever iX7 SUV has been spied testing in Germany.
- The electric version of the next X7 is expected to debut in 2027.
- It’ll get Neue Klasse design cues, but use older CLAR platform.
The 2026 iX3 unveiled at this month’s Munich Motor Show is just the first of several electric models BMW will drop in the next five years. And this biggest of them all is the new iX7, which our spy photo team has snapped on test maneuvers for the first time.
We published scoop images of the regular next-generation X7 a few months back, but that model’s quad exhausts left us in no doubt that we were looking at a combustion version, almost certainly powered by a hybrid-assisted 4.4-liter V8.
No Pipes, No Noise
But the prototype in these fresh images has no tailpipes or large transverse silencer beneath the rear bumper. And our photo guys say it remained near-silent even when the driver gave it a serious bootfull of throttle right in front of them, meaning it wasn’t a PHEV.
Related: Is BMW Teasing The Next i4 With This Mysterious Sedan?
BMW has never offered electric iX versions of the X5 and X7 before, but that’s about to change. The iX5 is scheduled to arrive next year, with the iX7 arriving in 2027. Both will adopt the Neue Klasse design language already seen on the iX3 and coming to the all-new electric 3-Series within the next 12 months. But unlike those cars, the X5/iX5 and X7/iX7 will roll on updated versions of the older CLAR architecture found on the current X5 and X7 SUVs.
Shared Looks, Different Power
SH Proshots
Because petrol and electric versions of the G67-code X7 use the same platform, styling differences between the two are unlikely to be significant. And neither will fully embrace the Neue Klasse look by switching to a visor-style front end. Based on what we can see from the spy shots the next X7 retains both a large grille and the two-level lighting setup, reflecting the fact that its customer demographic is older and more conservative than the iX3’s.
But the iX7 will get some of the same clever infotainment and electrical hardware featured on its baby brother. BMW’s clever cylindrical battery cells are around 20 percent more energy-dense than conventional versions, and allow more driving range and – together with 800-volt electrics – shorter charge times. The iX3 is rated at 400 EPA miles (644 km) and it’s possible the iX7 could be equally suitable for long journeys with an even bigger battery measuring well over 110 kWh.
Horsepower with Headroom
The first iX3 to launch is the 50 xDrive, which delivers 463 hp (345 kW / 469 PS) from dual motors, but mid- and top-spec versions of the iX7 will need and get more muscle than that. We wouldn’t be surprised to see an M70 performance trim with over 800 hp (811 PS / 597 kW), while there’s also been talk about the iX7 getting an Alpina version too packing an extra 100 horsepower on top of that.
SH Proshots
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