Alpina, BMW‘s now in-house luxury tuning wing, has refreshed XB7. Sporting a new front fascia and some new tech inside, the facelifted SUV is sure to impress and intimidate wherever it goes. The biggest change has been made to the front of the SUV where its lighting design has been updated for 2023, following the same design as the rest of the X7 lineup. New, slim headlights are underlined by a second row of darkened lighting elements surrounding BMW’s “Iconic Glow” kidney grille. The front and rear aprons have also been updated and take on what Alpina calls its new design vocabulary. The chrome mustache from the current model is also gone.
Under the hood, the 2023 XB7 gets the
latest generation of BMW’s 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, which benefits from
mild-hybrid assistance and a new cross-bank exhaust manifold for an even more
thrilling soundtrack and faster response from the turbos. Power, though,
remains the same at 612 HP and 800 Nm of torque.
That allows the SUV to reach a top speed of 290 km/h and to hit 100 km/h in just 4.2 seconds.
Air suspension at both axles and
Alpina-specific damper and kinematic setups are fitted as standard. At speeds
of less than 30 km/h the suspension automatically lifts for better
clearance, while at higher speeds, it automatically drops for better
aerodynamics. It sits on specially-developed wheel and tire combinations that
start with 21-inch “Alpina Dynamic” wheels wrapped in high-performance runflat
tires. Those looking for a little more visual impact, though, can opt for the
23-inch forged-alloy “Alpina Classic” 20-spoke rims that come wrapped in
Pirelli rubber.
Inside, Alpina offers its familiar range
of bespoke leather upholstery and the XB7 runs on the latest BMW Operating
System 8, which allows for intuitive voice controls provided by BMW Intelligent
Personal Assistant. The 2023 BMW Alpina XB7 is open for preliminary ordering in
European markets (except the U.K.), with deliveries expected to begin in December.
For the U.S. and right-hand-drive markets, production will start in December
2022, with order books likely to open in September. Prices start at € 170,500
(US$ 184,685 USD).
