One Big, Beautiful Luxury SUV: BMW Alpina XB7 Tested!

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+.

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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.

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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.

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Average lateral acceleration for the 2025 XB7 is 0.89 g, a little worse than the previous model’s 0.95 g, but that’s only part of the story. In our racetrack-mimicking figure-eight test, both old and new had an average lap time of 24.8 seconds, but the newer model manages transitions better, eking out a slightly better 0.81 g average compared to the older model’s 0.78 g despite near equivalent acceleration and slightly lower maximum lateral grip.

Like the braking test, the AMG is roughly a half step behind the Alpina. The GLS63 delivered a skidpad average of 0.77 g and averaged a slower 27.7 seconds at 0.65 g around the figure eight.

As we said about the X7 lineup’s base model, the XB7 drives like a much smaller SUV. That’s especially true for the Alpina and M60i models, which come with standard Integral Active Steering that includes rear-wheel steering. Changing directions is practically telepathic, even at slow speeds. Maneuverability improves, as the SUV’s turning radius drops from 42.8 feet without IAS to 40.7 feet with IAS.

The XB7 can’t negate all the effects of physics. Taking corners at a good clip still induces some body lean, but the BMW remains planted like a sports car. That might be the most counterintuitive thing about the entire experience—that a big family hauler can drive like a much lighter and lower-to-the-ground grand tourer.

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Most Expensive

Exciting as the driving experience is, it’s not the only reason we wanted to hang onto the keys of our BMW Alpina XB7 loaner a little longer. The top X7 trim looks and is equipped like one, communicating its status via an Alpina Green Metallic exterior paint, model-specific multispoke 23-inch wheels, and an Alpina body kit with front apron, rear diffuser, and rear spoiler. An illuminated kidney grille helps create real presence in the dark.

This XB7’s cabin came outfitted with the optional $1,500 Ivory White and Atlas Gray merino leather, one of the few add-ons available for the flagship model. Only the first row of seats features perforated skins, but quilting extends to all three rows, diminishing in scale the further back you go. It pairs well with the standard anthracite Alcantara headliner.

Other high-end styling details include a crystal gear selector, headrest pillows with the available $850 second-row captain’s chairs, and visually interesting grilles and cones with the $3,400 Bowers and Wilkins 20-speaker sound system. The XB7’s walnut wood trim is nice, too, but probably could use additional finishing. We noticed even microfiber cloth will snag on the wood surface.

While this isn’t quite an SUV for the 1 percent, BMW does its best to pack a lot into the XB7. On the basic end, the Alpina gets the lineup’s configurable 12.3-inch driver screen and gesture-controlled 14.9-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Both displays are easy to read and operate quickly, plus they look good in their curved binnacle. A head-up display and wireless charging pad are also standard, but for the next redesign BMW’s product planners might want to think about adding more than one wireless phone charger.

Every row of seating is powered in some way. Third-row-seat folding controls are found on the C-pillars and in the cargo hold. The multicontour front seats come with adjustable thigh supports. The second-row door armrests feature toggles for the door and roof sunshades. There are a dozen USB ports spread around the interior.

Then there’s the gravy, and it includes features like heated armrests (in addition to heated seats and steering wheel) and ventilated and massaging front seats. Automatic soft-close doors are included, as are heated and cooled center console cupholders.

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Who Is the BMW Alpina XB7 For?

Like other X7s, the Alpina gets dinged for not being as spacious as rivals. The V-8 model’s poor fuel economy is another demerit, which effectively hasn’t improved since the previous gen, but even our AMG bogey manages a worse 14/18 mpg city/highway. Some others in the class are only slightly better.

Indeed, little about the 2025 BMW Alpina XB7 makes practical sense. Even at its base price of just more than $157,000, there are more capacious, better packaged, even more upscale rivals in the segment that cost about as much.

Here is where BMW would argue the Alpina XB7 is singular, and it’s somewhat right. The eager SUV delivers a fun, uncompromised driving experience that one of our test drivers said feels more like an M product than does the M5 Touring. That’s some high praise.

If a crew hauler is what you need but driving excitement is what you want, and you know the drill with stiffer-riding performance cars—plus you have the necessary coin—the latest Alpina XB7 packs the kind of BMW punch that can make everyday a rush. No “M” required.