Want to switch from people carrier to load lugger? The second and third row seats fold down to take luggage space up to a maximum of a welsh-dresser-swallowing 2,120 litres. Note, though, that in seven-seat form boot capacity is just 326 litres which is a lot smaller than the five-seat X5’s boot.
Unlike the X5, though, the X7 comes with a Range Rover-style split tailgate with electric opening and closing as standard. Handily it can also be specified with remote opening, while there’s also a button to lower the rear of the car so big loads can slide in (or dogs jump in) more easily.
So there’s practicality here, along with somewhere to sit to change into your wellies, but chiefly the thrust is on luxury. Standard are quality leather, three-section panoramic glass roof, four-zone automatic climate control, heated seats all round, an array of ambient and ‘welcome’ lighting systems and a fully digital dash with huge screens and the new “Hey BMW” virtual assistant.
Optional are details like cooled or heated cupholders and a glass-topped gear selector, along with (thanks Rolls-Royce) a Sky Lounge glass roof embedded with LEDs to recreate the twinkling night sky. For those who want more there’s the Design Pure Excellence and M Sport equipment lines.
A luxury ride should be assured thanks to standard air suspension and adaptive dampers, along with BMW’s regular suite of chassis-control systems. The most nimble handling X7s will feature the active steering and active roll stabilisation package, which is an option. There are driver aids by the bucketload too, including as standard a reversing assistant to take the hard work out of squeezing this big car into small parking spaces.