2023 BMW ALPINA XB7

The 2023 BMW Alpina XB7 will be offered only in a single trim level like the current model and will attract a higher price tag of $145,995 in its stock form. Being an expensive luxury SUV, the XB7 comes with a dizzying list of standard features that includes both cutting-edge tech and plenty of creature comfort features. Some of the interior features include power sunshades for the rear passengers, cup holders with both heating and cooling, a fully leather-wrapped dashboard, premium leather upholstery, power-operated front seats with both heating and ventilation, and a dark themes headliner made of suede. On the technology part, the SUV offers gesture controls, a massive 12.3-inch infotainment display, a premium 16-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, and a heads-up display among a few others. As the brand claims that the interior will receive a styling update for 2023 MY, we expect the vehicle to carry the aforementioned quirks and features along with some additional features as well. Some of the optional features for the current model include penta-zone automatic climate control, a panoramic sunroof with LED lighting, and a rear-seat entertainment system.

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The BMW Alpina XB7 comes in a single and extremely well-equipped trim level, hence choosing among trim levels isn't required. If you feel that the standard features aren't adequate to quench your desires, you can always choose from the extensive list of standalone features that the brand offers.

Release Date

The 2023 Alpina XB7 is scheduled to release in early 2023 as per the latest information.

Currently, we have seen the BMW X7 make some impressive power and torque figures in its base form, and absolutely set the charts on fire with the mandatory M treatment. Alpina pushes the limits with their own tweaks to the 4.4-liter V8 of the X7. The 2023 XB7 will get the same 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged N63 V8 from the X7 M50i variant but in a higher state of tune. As such, the motor will push out 630 horsepower along with 590 lb-ft of torque after the power increase for the 2023 model year. As the output figures suggest, the performance is absolutely ridiculous for a huge and hefty SUV like the XB7, and press the gas pedal to the floor, you'll be pinned to your seat and see the speedo crossing the 60mph mark from a standstill within 3.8 seconds flat. Quarter-mile run requires only 12.4 seconds to complete. Lack of power? What’s that? Inside the city limits, the powertrain remains hushed and delivers the right amount of power according to the throttle inputs. However, out on the highways, the motor feels totally effortless but will gift you a slightly muffled but deep V8 rumble. Press the Sport mode button, and the exhaust becomes louder and you’ll be able to enjoy the classic popping sounds from the exhaust pipes as well.

The Aston Martin DBX gets a smaller, 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 but makes much lower, 542 horsepower along with 516 lb-ft of torque. Despite the lower output figures, the DBX is no slouch and completes the 0-60mph run within 4.0 seconds along with posting a 12.5-second quarter-mile run time. The Bentley Bentayga V8 also has a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 under its hood and makes identical power to the DBX along with making a higher, 568 lb-ft of torque output than the latter. Despite the significant power and torque difference from the XB7, the Bentayga V8 is as quick as the latter and has a higher top speed than the former too. The Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 is the most laid-back SUV here despite making some serious power and torque numbers from its twin-turbo V8. Also, it is the only one here to get a hybrid assist system attached to its motor to improve fuel efficiency.

2023 BMW Alpina XB7 Ride and Handling

You must be thinking that a huge and land yacht-like SUV like the XB7 can be fast but can break a sweat while tackling corners, well, it doesn’t. Lower the suspension and shift to Sport mode, the XB7 showcases surprising levels of nimbleness around the corners but you can hear the tires screaming if you push it too hard. Inside the city limits and out on the highways, the SUV remains glued to the tarmac. Even though the XB7 comes with standard air suspension, the big wheels and a sporty setup make the ride unsettled over bad roads.

2023 BMW Alpina XB7 Braking Performance

The 2023 Alpina XB7 has a significantly high curb weight of close to 6,000 lbs, and a vehicle of such heft demands a powerful set of brakes. The SUV doesn’t disappoint a bit in this aspect. At the front, the SUV is equipped with a pair of sizable 15.5-inch rotors from none other than Brembo while the rear wheels get slightly bigger 15.7-inch rotors. The braking performance is overwhelming at times with a sharp initial bite but the SUV can halt from 60mph within a 100-feet distance, putting several sports cars to shame.

The Aston Martin DBX weighs the least here with a curb weight of 4,940 lbs only. Despite getting big 16.1-inch rotors at the front and 15.3-inch rotors at the rear, the DBX requires slightly longer, 106 feet to come to a halt as compared to the XB7. The Bentley Bentayga V8 has moderate braking prowess to offer with a stopping distance of 111 feet while it could've been better. The Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 has the highest curb weight here which crosses the 6,000 lbs mark. However, it stops from 60mpg within 113 feet only.

While commandeering a vehicle such as the Alpina XB7, fuel efficiency tends to be the least point of concern. Considering the heft of the SUV and the amount of power that lurks under the XB7’s hood, the vehicle returns some decent fuel consumption ratings, at least for the current model. Since the upcoming model will see a jump in power output, we expect the ratings to drop marginally or remain similar to the current model. The current model of the XB7, with its average-sized 21.9-gallon gas tank, offers over 300 miles of city driving range along with 460 miles of highway driving range as well.

The Aston Martin DBX disappoints here with its mpg ratings. Despite getting a slightly smaller motor and lesser output numbers than the XB7, it offers 14mpg inside the city limits and a much lower, 18mpg out on the highways as compared to the XB7. Despite getting a bigger, 22.5-gallon gasoline storage capacity, the DBX fails to match up with the XB7 in terms of driving range figures as well. The Bentley Bentayga V8 is surprisingly the most fuel-efficient SUV here with 24mpg of highway and 18mpg of combined mileage ratings. As a result, it also offers the highest driving range numbers among all the rivals mentioned here. The Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 has the lowest combined mpg rating of 16 but makes it up with its sizable 23.8-gallon gas tank.

For a seriously fast SUV, the Alpina XB7’s cabin is quite a sight for sore eyes, and the 2023 version of the SUV is all set to be more luxurious as well. The design will see a slight update along with the addition of some features to the standard list. The current model of the SUV already has more than an adequately comfortable cabin with almost every possible creature comfort feature as standard. The most striking parts of the cabin are the fully leather-wrapped dashboard and the transmission selector along with the infotainment control knob made of glass. The glass of the controls also gets stylish cuts giving a crystal-like appearance. The front seats offer heating, ventilation, and massaging features while the rear seats are heated too. Quad-zone automatic climate control is standard but you can amp it up by getting the optional penta-zone automatic climate control. The rear passengers get power-operated sun shades while everyone can have a good view of the sky through the standard glass panoramic sunroof. The rear seats can also be equipped with an entertainment package from the standalone option list.

The Aston Martin DBX has a delectable cabin with ample space for all the occupants along with plenty of features as standard. However, the overall feel and the appointments don't quite match up with not only the XB7 but other rivals mentioned here as well. The Bentley Bentayga might not have the striking glass gear stick or the rotary controls, but it stands out with the extensive use of wooden interior trims, especially on the dashboard. The Bentayga slightly focuses on delivering a classy and old-school appeal with the metallic buttons along with plenty of physical buttons onboard with a touch of a modern feel. The Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 is practically the S-Class of full-size SUVs and gives almost every vehicle here a run for its money. Moreover, the standard list of features along with the cavernous space inside the cabin even punches slightly above its weight despite carrying a lower price tag than a few rivals.

Some of the key interior features available with the 2023 BMW Alpina XB7 include:

• Rear-passenger power sunshades
• Leather upholstery
• Heated and ventilated front seats with massage
• Heated rear seats
• Heated and cooled cup holders
• Glass controls
• Leather dashboard
• Dark gray simulated suede headliner

How intuitive is the 2023 BMW Alpina XB7’s infotainment system?

The infotainment system of the 2023 Alpina XB7 won’t be getting any upgrades apart from minor tweaks and improvements here and there. The current version of the system gets a massive 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment display that supports gesture controls along with standard voice controls as well. On the connectivity side, both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto get wireless support. Bluetooth is standard along with an integrated navigation system, a wireless charger, and a premium 16-speaker Harman Kardon audio system.

Some of the most notable infotainment features available with the 2023 BMW Alpina XB7 include:

• 12.3-inch touchscreen information display
• Gesture controls
• Voice controls 
• Navigation
• Bluetooth
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Wireless device charging pad

After the latest redesign, the BMW X7 wasn’t spared from getting the huge kidney grille at the front and it became quite polarizing amidst much better-looking competitors in the class. The current Alpina XB7 also carried the same design but it is all set to receive an upgrade for the 2023 model year. The headlamp units will see a major change with a two-part design. The upper part will house the LED DRLs while the lower part will house the LED headlamp units. Overall, the updated design will be a great move on from the traditional front-end design of Beemer but we wish the front grille was slated for a redesign too. The front bumper holds the air intakes for the radiators and also houses the sensors for the ADAS systems as well. The side profile and the rear end of the SUV will see minor changes though.

The Aston Martin DBX looks a bit unconventional since we are used to seeing that front-end design on sports cars from the brand. The rear end of the DBX actually looks more appealing and sleek than its front end and it is the most compact SUV on the list too. The Bentley Bentayga V8 looks quite grand on the outside like it does on the inside but lacks the sporty touches of the XB7. The Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 with its massive chrome front grille appears like a heavily souped-up and beefy SUV from the brand and it has the maximum exterior dimensions on paper too among the rivals here.

Some standout exterior features include:

• 21-inch wheels
• Adaptive air suspension
• Brembo brakes 
• Rear-wheel steering
• Adaptive LED headlights
• Alpina exterior trim
• Panoramic sunroof
• Soft-close doors

The steep price tag of the Alpina XB7 means that it has been skipped by both the IIHS and the NHTSA for crash testing. However, Beemers are known for their superb build and the XB7 tops it off with a long list of standard advanced driver assist techs. The techs include evasive steering assist, Blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic warning, Automated parking system, Surround-view camera system, Lane departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control, and forward collision mitigation system.

Some of the standout safety features include:

• Blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic warning 
• Adaptive cruise control
• Forward collision mitigation 
• Lane departure mitigation 
• Lane keeping system 
• Evasive steering assistance 
• Automated parking system 
• Surround-view camera system

2023 BMW Alpina XB7 vs 2022 Aston Martin DBX

The Aston Martin DBX is a sportier rival to the Alpina XB7 and carries immense brand value as well. However, the Alpina offers similar performance and a much better and well-equipped cabin than the DBX at a much lower price tag. Moreover, the exterior design of the Alpina XB7 will be more appealing to the masses with the latest redesign while the DBX sports an unmistakable but unconventional design language from the British brand. The Alpina XB7 is also better than the Aston in terms of fuel economy too, making it a win-win situation for shoppers investing in the former.

2023 BMW Alpina XB7 vs 2022 Bentley Bentayga V8

The Bentley Bentayga with its V8 powertrain rivals the Alpina XB7 in a solid way. Furthermore, the Bentayga is faster and as quick as the XB7 on a straight line too while offering a better overall fuel economy than the latter. However, the Bentayga disappoints heavily in terms of safety techs and infotainment features list. Even though the Bentayga demands a higher price than the XB7, the latter gets plenty of advanced driver assistance techs as standard along with getting more infotainment and connectivity features than the Bentayga.

2023 BMW Alpina XB7 vs 2022 Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600

The Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600, being the S-Class of SUVs here, has a similar and even better-equipped cabin than the XB7. The overall interior feels and looks more premium and plusher than the XB7’s cabin while the ride quality is much better on the GLS 600 as well. However, the GLS 600 lacks the sportiness of the Alpina and is marginally slower off the line than the XB7 despite making solid power and torque figures. Overall, the GLS 600 is more inclined towards offering a pleasurable and luxurious ride rather than being sporty.

With the latest update in terms of both interior and exterior designs, the Alpina XB7 should be on the top of your list. Yes, the SUV might disappoint you slightly with its unsettling ride over bad roads but you get a lot of standard features that you’d manage to find on SUVs costing much more. The performance is absolutely explosive and the fuel economy is decent considering how quick the vehicle is. If you can live with a slightly harsher ride than the rivals but want to indulge in both driving and luxury, the 2023 Alpina XB7 should be your next vehicle.