The BMW X7 is finally here and it’s ready to take on a new level of competition. Before the X7’s debut, the BMW X5 was always the largest Bavarian SUV. So never has BMW had an SUV that can compete with the big daddy Range Rover, which is the big SUV in the segment, the class leader. The Range Rover is a flawed truck, with some dated tech and gas-guzzling engines, but when it comes to luxury, off-road performance and just overall loveliness, it’s almost impossible to beat a Range Rover. So can the new BMW X7, the brand’s first attempt at such a car, take on the king of the segment?
We won’t know how it actually stacks up against the Range Rover on the road until we can test them back to back. However, we can compare how they look. So that’s what we shall do.
[twenty20 img1=”310627″ img2=”310497″ offset=”0.5″]
Honestly, this is an uphill battle for the X7. The Range Rover is a gorgeous SUV, something that’s genuinely impressive. SUVs by nature are designed for function rather than form but the ‘Rover is a beaut. The BMW X7, by comparison is a handsome thing but it will be tough to take on the Big Brit.
From the front, the BMW X7 is better looking than we thought it would be, after seeing the frightening concept. However, the Range Rover is better looking. It’s more elegant and less cartoonish than the X7, whose flared nostrils and squinty headlights look more like a caricature than an actual car design. The X7 isn’t bad but it’s no match for the pretty mug of the Range Rover.
[twenty20 img1=”310491″ img2=”310617″ offset=”0.5″]
In profile, it’s sort of a tale of two missions. When you look at the BMW X7 from the side, it looks like it’s been designed to fit seven passengers and as much luggage space as possible. It’s stately and handsome but looks to have prioritized function over form. While the Range Rover looks more athletic, while still being a big box, and its steeper approach angles make it seem more rugged. All the while, the Range Rover seems prettier, sleeker and more modern, despite being a few years older.
[twenty20 img1=”310457″ img2=”310619″ offset=”0.5″]
Out back, the Range Rover looks taller, with broader shoulders and tighter. Its vertically opposed taillights add to its visual height and make it seem a bit sleeker and more lithe. The BMW X7, on the other hand, is not a bad looking car at all from the rear, in fact we think that’s one of its best angles, but its wide taillights and horizontal styling cues make it seem a bit dumpy.
[twenty20 img1=”310525″ img2=”310625″ offset=”0.5″]
Inside, the BMW X7 starts to crawl back a bit. The cabin of the X7, while familiar, is very good looking, extremely premium and boasts awesome technology. Personally, I think the design of the Ranger Rover’s cabin is better, being more stylish and more expensive looking, but my brain knows that its tech is lackluster and it’s not as modern looking. They’re also quite different in that the Range Rover looks like a luxurious truck while the X7 looks like a big car, from their interiors.
[twenty20 img1=”310467″ img2=”310623″ offset=”0.5″]
Overall, it’s hard to not choose the Range Rover overall, here. After all, we’re looking at style and design and the Range Rover is the most stylish and attractive SUV on the market, save for maybe the Jaguar F-Pace (which ironically also part of Jaguar Land Rover). The BMW X7 is a handsome looking truck and one that, overall, will be an excellent SUV to own. But the Range Rover is the looker of the two and still unbeaten in its segment.
