A future subsidiary of the BMW Group, ALPINA has announced the updated XB7 will be officially introduced early next year. When it does arrive, it will not only get the styling and tech updates of the X7 LCI, but the S68 engine as well. Indeed, the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 installed in the M60i will adopt mild-hybrid tech for extra efficiency and a temporary power boost.
According to the preliminary specifications released by its soon-to-be parent company, ALPINA’s XB7 LCI will offer a colossal 630 horsepower. At 590 pound-feet (800 Newton-meters), the torque number will be carried over. As a refresher, the current fullsize SUV pampered in Buchloe has 612 hp. Those extra 18 horses would make it the most powerful production car in the BMW Group, eclipsing the M5 CS. However, it won’t be the company’s most potent vehicle. Why? Because the XM is coming by year’s end with over 700 hp courtesy of a plug-in hybrid V8.
Once again, ALPINA’s variant will be the closest thing to a BMW X7 M by packing substantially more power than Bavaria’s M Performance SUV. The X7 M50i is going away to make room for the M60i with 523 hp or 107 hp less than the XB7. Acceleration figures provided by the manufacturer don’t show any changes as the sprint to 60 mph will take the same four seconds flat. At full tilt, the luxurious mastodont will do 180 mph (290 km/h) or the same as before.
Since the facelifted XB7 won’t hit the market until early 2023, official images have not been provided. However, it’s easy to imagine how the BMW X7 M60i will be revised by ALPINA for the SUV’s flagship version. Aside from the discreetly modified aprons and the timeless multi-spoke wheels, the luxobarge will get a quad-oval exhaust setup.
As far as pricing is concerned, the current XB7 retails for $141,300. However, we should point out that the new M60i is about $3,300 more expensive than the M50i before it. That doesn’t necessarily mean ALPINA will command a premium over the pre-LCI, but don’t be too surprised if it does.
Source: BMW
