Finally! After listing the X7 on its website in January this year, BMW India has announced that it will be launched alongside the 7 Series facelift on July 25, 2019. Both are underpinned by BMW’s CLAR platform but where the limousine’s marque has been in existence for decades, the X7 came to BMW’s portfolio only last year. And when it did, we wasted little time to unravel what’s what.

We practised the same when earlier this year BMW unveiled the controversially styled 7 Series facelift. It isn’t what one might call “a masterpiece in design”. But, as for the rest of the package, the 7 Series is right up there amongst the best of them. In its refreshed form, it will boast the latest generation of BMW’s digital instrument cluster, just like the one seen on the recently launched X5 and the India-bound 8 Series, and wireless mobile charging pad.

As for the X7, it can easily be labelled as the 7 Series on stilts and some steroids up its backside. Why the backside? That’s because the X7 has three rows of seats can accommodate up to seven passengers. Obviously, the list of features is vast. The real kicker, however, is that all seats can be electrically adjusted. As for the boot space, it ranges from 326 litres will all seats up, to 2,120 litres with the second- and third-row folded away.

The 7 Series facelift was introduced was a range of powertrains, ranging from a 3.0-litre, 6-cylinder turbo-diesel to a 6.6-litre, twin-turbo V12. The saloon also has a hybrid variant, which wears the 745e tag (India should get the 745Le) and is powered by the combination of a 3.0-litre petrol engine and an electric motor. While the internal combustion engine produces 286PS/450Nm all on its own, the electric motor is good for 113PS/265PS. The total system output is rated at 394PS/600Nm. The other variant that India should get is the 730Ld, which has 265PS/620Nm on tap from a 3.0-litre diesel. All engines come coupled to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Over to the X7. BMW India listed the M50d variant on its website and it’s still there. However, the xDrive40i variant has also been spotted in India during its homologation tests. The latter houses a 3.0-litre petrol engine which produces 340PS/450Nm, whereas the former has a 3.0-litre diesel generating 400PS/760Nm. Here too, the transmission duties for both engines will be handled by an 8-speed auto.

BMW India is likely to bring the 745Le and the M50d via the CBU route. The other variants for both the models will be put together locally and hence will cost considerably less. When they launch, the 7 Series will renew its rivalry with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Jaguar XJ and the Audi A6, and the X7 will compete with the Mercedes-Benz GLS, Lexus LX and the Land Rover Discovery.