BMW Alpina XB7 review

The execs at Alpina must be a charming bunch. How else can you explain a gigantic manufacturer like BMW not only tolerating its cars being modified by this tiny independent tuning house, but positively encouraging it?

The two companies get on so well, in fact, that Alpina is granted access to new BMWs while they’re still being developed, although the relationship is probably helped by the fact that Alpinas rarely upstage BMW’s own M Performance models, and instead deliver a less extreme performance car experience.

This BMW Alpina XB7 is potentially an exception, though. Based on the BMW X7 seven-seat luxury SUV, it takes the twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 engine from the flagship M50i version and ups the power from 523bhp to 613bhp.

The four-wheel drive system and air suspension have been re-engineered, and there’s now something called ‘active roll stabilisation functionality’ to improve cornering composure.

Finally, visual changes include a beefy bodykit, reshaped bumpers with larger air intakes, and Alpina’s trademark body graphics and multi-spoke alloy wheels.

So, how much of a difference do the technical upgrades make? Well, that’s what we’ll be looking at in this review, along with how the XB7 compares with other ultra-luxurious SUVs such as the Bentley Bentayga, Mercedes GLS and Range Rover.

If at the end you decide any of them are right for you – or, indeed, you plan to buy any make and model of vehicle – check out the free What Car? New Car Buying section where we could potentially save you thousands of pounds without the hassle of haggling.

In addition to being able to blast from 0-62mph in 4.2sec, the Alpina XB7 has a top speed of 180mph. Impressive as those numbers are, though, it’s actually the 590lb ft of torque that’s most significant.

If you put your foot down, this huge luxury SUV not only pulls hard from low revs, but also continues to surge towards the horizon after that. The engine’s muscle and the speed with which the eight-speed automatic gearbox carries out shifts mean there's basically a never-ending wave of performance.

Here’s the thing, though: you can say much the same about BMW'S own X7 M50i. While the XB7 is the faster of the two, you’re unlikely to notice the difference unless you’re on a track (and these are hardly track cars) or a derestricted stretch of autobahn.

Indeed, the XB7 feels most suited to cruising at speed because it’s very planted on a motorway and the ride is both comfortable and controlled. The only downside is a significant amount of road noise, although the optional 23in wheels fitted to our test car probably didn’t help (21in ones are standard).

Those wheels are also likely to be at least partly to blame for the ride feeling more unsettled generally than the X7’s over patched-up urban roads, even when you put the XB7’s air suspension in its Comfort mode. That's still the setting that suits the car best, though. Comfort+ makes things so floaty that any passenger who suffers from motion sickness could well end up having to ask you to pull over.

Switching to Sport or Sport+ firms things up significantly but the ride doesn’t become punishing, and you’re rewarded with surprisingly good body control on twisty roads. The XB7 doesn’t feel super-agile, but it’s far more competent in bends than a 2.6-tonne SUV has any right to be, aided by steering that’s smooth, light and accurate.

As a bonus, four-wheel steering is standard, and that greatly aids low-speed manoeuvrability by turning the rear wheels very slightly in the opposite direction to the fronts for a reduced turning circle.

Aside from a smattering of Alpina logos and the fact that the digital instruments are blue rather than black, the XB7 isn’t all that different inside to a high-spec BMW X7. Then again that’s an excellent starting point, and Alpina gives you a greater range of personalisation options. How about an LED ceiling display offering more than 15,000 light patterns?

True, a Bentley Bentayga feels more opulent, but all the materials in the XB7 scream quality and it feels incredibly well built, which is something you can’t say about the Mercedes GLS.

Similarly, the carried-over BMW infotainment system is the best around. The menus are logical and you can operate it through the extremely responsive 12.3in touchscreen or with voice control and an intuitive rotary dial to keep distraction to a minimum.

Alternatively, you can use gestures to adjust the volume, skip music tracks or change radio stations, although that's more of a gimmick and you do feel a bit silly waving your hand around in the air to activate functions.

Behind the wheel, you’ll find a typically high-set SUV driving position with electrically adjustable front seats that are effortlessly easy to fine-tune to your taste and that will keep you comfortable for many hours.

A car this bulky can present a few visibility challenges, but front and rear parking sensors, a plethora of all-round cameras and even a self-parking system help minimise them.

The Alpina XB7 is a huge car – bigger even than the Range Rover – and that translates into masses of interior space. It’s not only tall and airy up front, but also so wide that the driver could almost feel like they’re in a different postcode to their front passenger. You certainly won’t have to worry about banging elbows.

That width comes in handy in the second row, too, allowing three people to sit side-by-side relatively comfortably. What’s more, they’ll have loads of head and leg room, and the outer two passengers even get heated seats and their own climate controls.

You can order your XB7 with two individual second-row chairs instead of a three-person bench. If you go for that set-up, the occupants get their own armrests, plus a wide range of electrical adjustment. The optional two-seat rear lay-out in the Range Rover is even more opulent, with extendable leg rests fitted to the chairs.

Whichever version you choose, the XB7 retains the third-row seating of the BMW X7 on which it’s based, giving it a key advantage over the Bentley Bentayga and Range Rover. While the Audi Q7, Mercedes GLS and Volvo XC90 also come with seven seats, only the Mercedes GLS (and the X7, obviously) match the XB7 by offering enough space for six-footers to sit comfortably in the third row.

As a bonus, access to the third row is easy, thanks in part to the wide rear doors that reveal a large gap to clamber through. It’s not quick, though, because the second-row seats can only be slid out of the way electrically and move at a crawl.

The boot features a split-folding tailgate with a lower section that flips out to serve as a handy perch when you're taking off muddy wellies or similar. There’s space for a couple of suitcases even when the third-row seats are in use. No other car that we’ve tested has such a big boot in five-seat mode, and the load area is truly van-like when the second and third rows are folded away.

There are some handy underfloor storage compartments, although the parcel shelf only covers the load area fully in seven-seat configuration.

There’s no getting away from it, the Alpina XB7 is a very expensive car to buy, costing around £30,000 more than the BMW X7 M50i. What’s more, insurance and servicing costs will be high, and the official average fuel economy is just 20.6mpg.

Still, at least it comes with a lot of standard equipment. The list includes soft-close doors, ambient interior lighting, a driver’s head-up display, powered rear window blinds and an opening panoramic glass sunroof.

Alpina doesn’t sell enough cars to be included in the annual What Car? Reliability Survey but given how much tech the XB7 shares with the X7, it’s encouraging that BMW finished in ninth place out of 31 brands in the 2020 survey – well above premium rivals Audi, Land Rover and Mercedes.

The XB7 hasn’t been tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP but we’d expect it to perform well given that the list of safety technology fitted includes automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane-departure warning. 

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