Frankfurt Motor Show: BMW Concept X7 iPerformance Is One Ugly Flagship SUV
Even passionate BMW lovers will secretly admit that the BMW Concept X7 iPerformance which made its debut at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show is hideous to look at.
Is BMW going back to those days when it lost track of how to design great-looking cars? I still remember the times when flame-surfacing ruined every BMW car that I once loved. But then the Bavarians did the damage control, put their house in order and started making their sedans, SUVs and sports cars look stunning again. Sadly, that winning run seems to have come to a halt now as the BMW Concept X7 iPerformance concept showcased at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show is among the ugliest luxury SUVs that one has to look at.
Presented as a teaser to the upcoming BMW X7, this thing is quite hard to like. Die-hard BMW loyalists will scream from the rooftops about the “bold” grille large enough to gorge on pedestrians and the massive glasshouse area that the Concept X7 offers with pride. However, you can’t take the rest of the world into confidence with those design elements.
Yes, this is still a concept of the upcoming BMW flagship luxury SUV and we shouldn’t be getting worried so soon as the production versions always dial things down from the flashy concept built to garner eyeballs at auto shows. Though most of the time we wish to see the actual car bear a close resemblance to the concept, we’ll make an exception here. We don’t want the actual car to be loyal to this concept design.
Courtesy: BMW PressClub Global
Courtesy: BMW PressClub Global
Courtesy: BMW PressClub Global
Courtesy: BMW PressClub Global
Can we have a watered-down version of the BMW Concept X7 iPerformance please? Something which won’t make our eyes bleed, maybe?
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The fans hated that grille which is too large for their tastes. Having said that, with the front section can be made palatable with the right amount of tweaks. I guess the large grille can be salvaged, if they somehow manage to make it less showy and gaudy as it is now. On the other hand, the work on the profile, side panels and the overall stance is going to be more extensive as that’s where the design loses its way completely. Reminds one of how awkward the Bentley Bentayga looked when it made its first public appearance.
In its current form, it simply doesn’t succeed in even holding its own against the likes of the flagship SUVs from Mercedes Benz and Land Rover. And both have been fairly successful in the 7-seater luxury SUV segment into which the Bavarian carmaker is planning to enter with the BMW X7. It’s not going to be one of those easy wins for the X7, as the GLS and the Range Rover will tear it apart, despite their age. Unless BMW fix this design. Need and example? Check out how the Bentley Bentayga turned out finally. The Brits listened to the feedback from the target clientele and media, made extensive corrections in the package and now the Bentayga is their best-seller.
Courtesy: BMW PressClub Global
Courtesy: BMW PressClub Global
Courtesy: BMW PressClub Global
Courtesy: BMW PressClub Global
We do expect some of those features on the concept to stay and hopefully BMW will surprise us by finding cost-effective ways to carry those forward to production.
What works on the BMW Concept X7 iPerformance’s favor? The technology on the concept car is advanced. A plug-in hybrid powertrain, the 7-Series platform sharing, the minimalist and futuristic interior crafted with superb quality and finish, the array of technology and gadgets on board, the airy, spacious and luxurious cabin that can seat more people than your usual 5-seater luxury SUV – these are all good things to love about the concept. We just wish that it all came inside a better-looking body. That’s not too much to ask for.
Next: BMW Concept Z4 At Pebble Beach Previews Upcoming Roadster
BMW X7 in production guise will be making its debut in late 2018 and the carmaker’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina will undertake the manufacturing. There is still a lot of time between today and the actual launch. Perhaps BMW can go back to the drawing board and get the exterior design sorted out before the first production model exits the building. The new BMW X7 is going to be the face of the X family and you better make that a pretty face to look at, BMW.
Source: BMW PressClub Global