BMW introduced its first X5 EV this year with the 2027 iX5, but the company’s electric luxury SUV plans extend further. These latest spy photos show that development of the much larger, three-row iX7 is still underway, with the camouflaged prototype appearing at Germany’s Nürburgring after earlier sightings.
Spy photographers captured the iX7 making near-silent laps at the Nürburgring, a 12.9-mile (20.8 km) forest circuit it is unlikely to visit often once in customer hands. Although the three-row EV is not being designed as a track vehicle, BMW uses the circuit for durability testing as well as handling work, as it does with models ranging from the X1 to the 7 Series.
The latest images make clear that BMW is not moving the iX7 to the Neue Klasse EV platform. As a result, neither the iX7 nor its combustion-powered X7 counterpart will immediately adopt the visor-style front end seen on the iX3, iX4 and iX5. Instead, they retain the split-headlight design introduced for 2023 and also used by the 7 Series after its facelift earlier this year. The SUVs should still receive sleeker bodywork with a more modern Neue Klasse influence, along with electric door releases at the base of the pillars replacing conventional handles.
Like the iX5 and X5, the iX7 and X7 will use an updated form of BMW’s current CLAR architecture. That does not mean the electric SUV will miss out on newer technology, however, as it should receive BMW’s advanced cylindrical-cell battery expertise and updated electrical systems. Those developments could enable charging rates of up to 460 kW and range figures capable of challenging models such as the new Range Rover Electric, and potentially the Cadillac Escalade IQ.
The iX5 already uses a substantial 144 kWh battery, with BMW claiming an EPA range of 435 miles (700 km). Since the iX7 is likely to be roughly 5 inches (125 mm) longer, judging by the difference between the previous X5 and X7, its floor could accommodate an even larger battery. The motor choices are expected to overlap with the iX5, meaning at least one iX7 version could use the iX5 60’s 570-horsepower (578 PS) dual-motor system. More powerful M-badged versions are also expected.
The cabin should share even more with other BMW models as the company expands its Panoramic iDrive across the lineup. Both the electric iX7 and gasoline X7 are expected to feature a pillar-to-pillar instrument display and a parallelogram-shaped infotainment screen on the center console, similar to the setup shown in the iX5.
BMW’s Spartanburg, South Carolina, facility is preparing to build the X7 and iX7 alongside the X5 and iX5. Buyers will need to wait, though: the iX7 is not expected to debut until 2027 and is scheduled to go on sale next fall.
Adding electric power will mark a major milestone for the X7, although American buyers may not immediately embrace it. U.S. EV sales have slowed considerably, and luxury customers in particular often continue to favor powerful gasoline engines over even stronger electric drivetrains.
The new M60 is set to replace the current X70 M60i, dropping the “i” designation while likely gaining additional power. It is expected to use a lightly revised version of the 4.4-liter S68 twin-turbocharged V8 from today’s top X7, improving on the current model’s 523 hp and 553 lb-ft. BMW’s new M760 xDrive sedan offers a possible indication of the increase, producing 563 hp (571 PS) while keeping torque unchanged and using mild-hybrid assistance instead of a plug-in-hybrid system.
Distinguishing the gasoline X7 from the electric iX7 should be straightforward. The M60 prototype features functional air intakes in its oversized kidney grilles, while those openings are closed off on the EV. It also wears two pairs of large exhaust tips at the rear.
For M enthusiasts, the M Performance M60 may represent the highest-performance version of the new X7. BMW has never built a full X7 M, and that is not expected to change when the redesigned SUV arrives in 2027. Buyers could still have a more expensive option, however, as Alpina is now fully controlled by BMW and its luxury take on the large three-row SUV could arrive in 2028, according to BMW Blog.
BMW’s upcoming iX7 will share updated CLAR underpinnings with the X7 and is expected to bring advanced battery technology, rapid charging and an EPA range potentially exceeding the iX5’s 435 miles. Production is planned at Spartanburg, with the iX7 debuting in 2027. The gasoline X7 M60 should retain a twin-turbo V8, while an Alpina version may follow in 2028.
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