I was at a private event and was able to see the X7 up close and personal.
My initial thoughts (and those of the wife):
- The wife thought the grill looked small for the proportions
- The X7, by US standards, didn't look overtly large - no bigger than a GMC Yukon and smaller than a Yukon XL
- Interior looks good and similar to newer BMWs (G30)
- The rear seats (2nd row) were comfortable with sufficient leg room. I couldn't move the seats back (or forward) than what the car was defaulted to (demo mode?)
- I didn't sit in the third row but there appears to be more room than the X5. An adult or two could sit back there although probably not recommended for long trips.
- The front was nice and comfortable (couldn't adjust seats). Fit and finish was great and what one might expect from this car.
- Heated/cooled cup holders were a nice touch but I'm not sure if it will have a real impact on the temp of your beverage. It's there to keep your beverage cooler/warmer longer for long trips but you may be finished drinking before the drink would equalize to ambient temperature anyway.
- I LOVE the rear clamshell! Unlike the older X5, this is setup like the G05 where both the top and bottom clamshell are powered. Many other SUV's use the mini-van style rear hatch that leaves the bumper exposed when loading gear. The clamshell protects the bumper and is a better design, in my opinion.
- The rear doors are HUGE. This makes ingress and egress easier. However, good luck finding a parking space big enough for the rear doors. (more on this later)
- I'm not sure if it's standard or optional but I hope the side steps can be deleted from the build sheet. They're not very big but they will dirty your pant leg when getting out of the car in the winter.
- The engine bay is not very impressive. It looks like there is room for a kicker engine on top. Clearly BMW didn't need to make the front that large so there is lots of room to spare under the hood.
Overall I was pleasantly surprised by the X7. BMW has a winner and while I no longer need an SUV of that size, I do wish it was an option a few years ago. We'll probably get another X5 in 9 months. Although, the X7 is tempting and who knows if the wife will want something bigger. I just don't know where we would park it around here where parking spaces are not as generous as other parts of the US.
The question will be who will buy it. I can see this as a real estate car, a limo, and maybe a family car. As a family car, the doors will make it a bit of a challenge for families with smaller kids. While loading the car with carseats will be easy. Younger kids are likely to let the rear barn doors fly open and take out another kid walking on the other side of the sidewalk at the school drop off line. The middle seats also power slide forward to allow the people in the third row exit the car. I don't think smaller children will have the patience to wait for the seat to slide forward and you'll have the little ones jump over and stepping all over the middle seat to quickly exit the car. The cargo area wasn't very large with the third row seats up. It's similar to some minivans where you have room for groceries but any trips to Costco may require laying one of the third row seats down. My 100 lb dog would be pretty cramped in the back with the three rows if I removed the cargo cover.
The 7-Series hasn't been a big seller but I can see BMW selling quite a few more of the X7 in the US. I can hardly imagine the X7 in the streets of Berlin or Paris.