Photo: CarPix
BMW mid-cycle facelifts are usually one way or the other, with no middle ground. They can either not change the design motifs of a model at all or go fully bananas and change its entire design language.
Somewhat unexpectedly, it seems that the 2022 BMW X7 LCI (Life Cycle Impulse) falls into the latter category.
For example, the previous generation of the 1 Series, or the last one to feature longitudinal engines, had two facelifts during its production cycle, only one of which completely changed both the front and the rear of the model’s design.
In about a year from now, BMW will present the mid-cycle refresh for its largest SUV, the X7, which will also be accompanied by a sportier-looking brother called the X8.
Both models are getting a mysterious front-end that reminds us of the big-rig look of the 1994 Dodge Ram, which would be a rather weird design motif change, especially compared to any other BMW of the past and present.
Then again, pre-production prototypes are still wearing heavy amounts of camouflage, and the lower-sitting headlamps appear to be placeholders for the real production ones.
That said, they sit a lot lower than on the current X7, with the massive double-kidney grille appearing to be an even more integral part of the front-end design.
At first glance, BMW could be simply pulling a prank on spy photographers. Still, that theory doesn’t hold much water when realizing that both the upcoming BMW i7 and next-generation 7 Series prototypes also feature a similar positioning of their placeholder headlights.
Some renderings have even tried to preview a twin-headlamp design, which would be used on both the X7 LCI and the 2023 BMW 7 Series, bringing them more together from a design standpoint, but that seems too much of an abrupt departure from any of their predecessors.
No matter how its new front end will look, the 2022 BMW X7 is likely to feature either new or massively improved powertrains, with a 700+ horsepower plug-in hybrid V8 expected to be unveiled under the X7 M moniker as well.
For example, the previous generation of the 1 Series, or the last one to feature longitudinal engines, had two facelifts during its production cycle, only one of which completely changed both the front and the rear of the model’s design.
In about a year from now, BMW will present the mid-cycle refresh for its largest SUV, the X7, which will also be accompanied by a sportier-looking brother called the X8.
Both models are getting a mysterious front-end that reminds us of the big-rig look of the 1994 Dodge Ram, which would be a rather weird design motif change, especially compared to any other BMW of the past and present.
Then again, pre-production prototypes are still wearing heavy amounts of camouflage, and the lower-sitting headlamps appear to be placeholders for the real production ones.
That said, they sit a lot lower than on the current X7, with the massive double-kidney grille appearing to be an even more integral part of the front-end design.
At first glance, BMW could be simply pulling a prank on spy photographers. Still, that theory doesn’t hold much water when realizing that both the upcoming BMW i7 and next-generation 7 Series prototypes also feature a similar positioning of their placeholder headlights.
Some renderings have even tried to preview a twin-headlamp design, which would be used on both the X7 LCI and the 2023 BMW 7 Series, bringing them more together from a design standpoint, but that seems too much of an abrupt departure from any of their predecessors.
No matter how its new front end will look, the 2022 BMW X7 is likely to feature either new or massively improved powertrains, with a 700+ horsepower plug-in hybrid V8 expected to be unveiled under the X7 M moniker as well.
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