2025 BMW Alpina XB7 Review: Pomp and Circumstance

There are top-trim vehicles that we here at AutoGuide believe are not in fact better than their more affordable siblings. The 2025 BMW Alpina XB7 is not one of them.

Now don’t get me wrong, we are big fans of the big BMW’s “lesser” models. I drove the six-cylinder model a few years back and called it “ hard to beat.” Mike Schlee got in the V8-powered M60i the following year and called it one of the most comfortable vehicles he had ever driven. So it’s good, then.

Yet the Alpina treatment elevates the X7 to elite status. Better to drive than an Escalade and more unique than an AMG GLS, the XB7 is the gas-powered three-row SUV to have, assuming you also have the bank account to make that happen.

Maybe it’s the years. Maybe it’s that everyone is doing the split-face thing these days. Whatever it is, the X7’s visage is no longer shocking to these eyes. If anything, I find the pre-facelift model a little boring now. Especially at night, the XB7 looks modern and futuristic, while retaining a grille shape and size that almost—almost—feels modest.

The Alpina touches help too, of course. Those four-split wheel spokes, in actual silver, look fantastic, with the metallic trim along the lower body drawing the eyes in. Four round, polished exhaust pipes are about as classically elegant as a quartet can get. The front bumper, with its additional body-color bits and the Alpina name clearly visible at the lip is just enough of a tell that this is something special. Buyers can get the XB7 in all manner of usual BMW colors, but let’s be real: it’s Alpina Blue or Green or bust.

Under that long hood sits an Alpina-specific version of BMW’s familiar V8, throwing down 631 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. The usual ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic does duty here, too. It’s just as smooth as ever, subtly swapping from ratio to ratio with only the faintest auditory cues.

Don’t think of the XB7 as a de facto stand-in for an X7 M: it’s too smooth, too cultured for that. The shove from those eight force-fed cylinders is effortless, and it will happily wind its way to redline in a way so few turbocharged motors do these days. Add in the low-revs torque fill of the mild-hybrid system and the XB7 is responsive at any road/engine speed combination. There’s a creamy smoothness and just a hint of burble as the XB7 goes about its business.

BMW’s stop-start system is also one of the better ones, smoothly halting the V8 before the XB7 gets to a complete stop, and quickly reactivating it as soon as brake pressure is reduced. 

Fuel economy essentially matches that of the M60i, ringing in at 16 mpg city and 20 mpg highway for an average of 17 mpg. Canadian figures are 15.2, 11.6, and 13.6 L/100 km, respectively. Observed efficiency was right on par with this, despite winter rubber and colder temperatures.

Those Scorpion Winters, wrapped around the smaller 21-inch alloys, offer superb purchase over all manner of road during the week with the XB7. The XB7 doesn’t exactly encourage spirited driving—it’s on the wrong side of 5,500 pounds (2,500 kilograms)—but it goes, turns, and stops with confidence and predictability. Steering weight is light, especially around the straight-ahead, though switching into a more aggressive drive mode adds a touch more heft.

Helping matters is the standard rear-axle steering, which tweaks the rear tires up to 2.3 degrees in either direction to aid low-speed agility and high-speed stability. The result is a big SUV that feels more like a mid-sized one.

Brake feel is smooth and progressive, with typically early German bite for confidence.

The XB7’s ride is generally well-judged, with exceptional poise at highway speeds, where the big SUV is in its element. Here it will swallow up any bumps or expansion joints with a barely audible thump and little more.

Around town the ride is on the stiff side, though in a more generally sporty sense than a brittle one. The message here is a clear sense of purpose, not the stiff-for-stiff’s sake feel that can occasionally infect other Bimmers. A height-adjustable suspension can drop the whole vehicle down almost two inches to more cleanly cut through the air, but it won’t help soften the ride.

Seating comfort is superb. Alpina’s Tartufo merino leather looks, feels, and even smells great. Intricate stitching provides a sense of occasion, and it translates across all three rows, too. The front seats offer a wide range of adjustments for maximum support, though as I discovered on the xDrive40i years ago, the massage function is only okay.

Second-row passengers enjoy plenty of space and additional pillows for their headrests. The third row gets plenty of soft brown leather too, though I’d be lying if I told you it’s a comfortable spot for two adults to do a road trip. It works in a pinch and that’s all; keep those seats empty and give the XB7 some decent cargo storage, instead.

The cabin is pure X7 with a sprinkling of Alpina touches, and that’s a good thing. Okay, I’m still not sold on the light-up pattern along the dashboard, but the rest of the design is clean and consistent. Glass switchgear adds just enough bling, and the added bonus of an actual shifter instead of the little toggle in other models. It all also feels properly screwed together, with none of the creaks found in another German competitor’s current cabins.

The highlight is easily the steering wheel. Nevermind those seats; the former cow wrapped around the XB7’s tiller is some of the smoothest, most supple leather I’ve ever touched. This is Alpina’s Lavalino leather, and as the primary touch point for this big SUV, it immediately sets the tone: “hey, this is something special.” Don’t you dare get into the XB7 on a cold day and keep your gloves on.

Like every other modern BMW, the XB7 uses a curved, twin-screen setup for its touchscreen (14.9 inches) and instrument cluster (12.3 inches). The latest iDrive 8.5 updates have cleaned up some of the menu-digging, and there’s plenty of customization available to tailor the main screen to your liking. Wireless Apple CarPlay hooks up quickly and painlessly, with easy switching between it and the native setup. One incredibly useful feature is the augmented reality navigation, which overlays directions on a live feed from the nose.

This being a range-topper, the XB7 comes loaded with every bit of safety and convenience tech BMW can throw at it. A head-up display and the aforementioned massage seats? Of course. Five zone climate control? Sure thing. How about a Maneuver Assistant to trace a particularly difficult parking route to then automate it for the next time? You got it—though I didn’t try it. The upgraded Bowers & Wilkins sound system is excellent. While not new to BMWs, I still appreciate the combo of heated armrests plus heated and chilled cupholders. Now that feels luxurious.

There is no logical, rational argument for the Alpina XB7. Not at the $157,175 ($177,555 CAD) starting price (including destination), and certainly not at the as-tested sticker of $162,925 ($198,055 CAD). That inflated Canadian price is largely due to the Alpina exterior paint being a free option in America but five grand in the Great White North. Same with the Tartufo leather: $1,500 versus $5,900 CAD. Ouch.

But folks shopping in this rarified air aren’t buying for logic. This is a heart-over-head decision, just like the slightly pricier, much rowdier 682-horsepower Cadillac Escalade V or the slightly more affordable Mercedes-AMG GLS 63. The GLS is also part of the 600-horsepower club but lacks the rarity of the Alpina; the Caddy is a laugh but about as subtle as a neon yellow sledgehammer.

Equal parts pampering and powerful, with that if-you-know-you-know pedigree that only comes with the red-and-blue badge, the 2025 BMW Alpina XB7 is a properly special flagship SUV. Those fortunate enough to cover the cost of entry will find themselves in one of the very best gas-powered three-rows on the market.

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