One Big, Beautiful Luxury SUV: BMW Alpina XB7 Tested!
The numbers don’t vary much from the previous model, but that doesn’t make the XB7 any less of a big, upscale, fun-to-drive luxury SUV.
BMW refreshed the X7 lineup for 2023, and while the base model we tested got some things right—namely performance, tech, and a simplified cabin—the xDrive40i isn’t the all-arounder we hoped it would to be. As a result, the luxury full-size SUV sits fifth out of seven in the class in MotorTrend’sUltimate Car Rankings.
The 2025 BMW Alpina XB7 top trim doesn’t solve the X7’s cargo space woes and makes it only a little easier to get into the third row of seats. What makes the flagship special, however, is its Alpina tuning. The third-party builder touched the XB7’s 631-horsepower 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 mild hybrid, suspension, and interior design elements to create the ultimate X7.
BMW sent us a 2025 Alpina XB7 to see how well it does. We looked at our past testing results to stack it up against the previous version, as well as against rivals like the Mercedes-AMG GLS63 4Matic+.
How Quick Is the 2025 BMW Alpina XB7?
We achieved our best launches in Sport+ drive mode, with traction and stability control toggled off. Holding the brake until the revs reached around 3,000 rpms, we let off the stoppers and let the XB7’s powertrain take over. This big boy hooks up and takes off like the dickens, reaching 60 mph in 4.0 seconds.
That’s quick but disappointingly the same as the previous-generation XB7, which makes “only” 612 hp but the same 590 lb-ft of torque from its non-mild hybrid turbo V-8 powertrain. The older model is also 84 pounds lighter on our scale.
Both XB7s lag behind the Mercedes-AMG GLS63, arguably the BMW nameplate’s closest segment rival, which sprints to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. The Mercedes SUV features a slightly smaller 4.0-liter turbo V-8 mild hybrid powertrain rated for less horsepower but more torque than the BMW, 603 hp and 627 lb-ft. The GLS63 is also about 60 pounds lighter than the XB7.
Still, the XB7 feels effortlessly swift. Mash the go-pedal, and it blasts off with a turbo V-8 growl that grows to a roar. The engine revs like a caged beast, as if the SUV thinks it’s a muscle car. Even in Comfort mode, the throttle pedal is on the sensitive side (not that we’re complaining). BMW’s eight-cylinder can get properly angry, too, spinning upward of 6,500 rpm.
Massive Braking Power
Stopping from 60 mph in a straight line, the previous XB7 is a bit more capable than the new one. Its best effort is 100 feet, 3 feet shorter than our Alpina. The AMG needed more space, though, taking 107 feet to come to a halt. None of these numbers is anything to sneeze at given each SUV’s weight.
Perhaps more amazing, the weight is virtually unnoticeable from the Alpina XB7’s driver’s seat during panic stops. The chassis manages to control dive well, and the big luxury SUV never felt squirrely, even in repeated stops from 100 mph and with antilock brakes activated. The BMW’s shorter-travel pedal loads up predictably, too.
Tallboy Fancy Footwork
Everything this vehicle does at or near its dynamic limits is impressive, especially considering it’s an almost-three-ton box on wheels. Plus, any of the chassis’ floatiness from previous incarnations seems all but eliminated.
The Alpina-grade grunt and suspension tuning, which includes adaptive pneumatic dampers and active roll stabilization, facilitate some of the magic. Our luxury rig also came shod in wide and sticky standard Pirelli P Zero tires, a substantial 285-width in front and even meatier 325 in back. An included M Sport rear differential and exhaust also contribute to the 2025 BMW Alpina XB7’s thrilling driving manners.
