BMW X7 interior, tech and comfort

• Plush cabin with familiar BMW fixtures
• Standard leather across the interior
• Huge amount of adjustment and lots of space

A sense of wellbeing pervades the X7’s interior: occupants sit high on plush seats, the deep windows and a standard panoramic roof provide a bright feel, and materials including standard Vernasca leather and the option of a cut-glass finish for the gear stick and rotary infotainment controller are suitably rich.

The seats offer a superb range adjustment with electric controls all-round, with a commanding view no matter the position – the bonnet does appear high and prominent which can help with placing the car on the road, especially useful in tighter, urban confines.

There’s a high-tech feel to the media system too. BMW’s latest 7.0 iDrive infotainment is standard, with a 12.3-inch central screen and digital instrument binnacle of the same size. It’s operated via either a rotary controller, touchscreen, voice control or gestures (including twirling a finger to adjust volume), or a mixture of all of the above.

If it sounds confusing, it’s soon intuitive, although we’ve found the voice controls a little frustrating to operate – especially compared with the rival Mercedes Me system, but it allegedly learns your behaviours, voice and commands over time to become more intuitive and responsive. Similarly, our Apple CarPlay connection – which operates via Bluetooth rather than a cable – frequently dropped-out on start-up, meaning the phone had to be paired manually. Needlessly annoying.

Is it comfortable?

• Exceptionally comfortable seats
• Air suspension boost comfort
• Large wheels can harm things slightly

Although the X7 is related to the 7 Series, BMW has targeted even higher levels of comfort and refinement. It’s certainly a serene drive, with controlled but highly absorbent air suspension, and a notably quiet cabin. In true BMW SUV fashion, though, the X7 still handles like a much smaller, sportier car on a twisty road – especially when you select a stiffer setting for the adaptive suspension.

Rear-end-biased xDrive four-wheel drive and rear-wheel steering both contribute to the X7’s surprisingly wieldy nature.

Sport mode certainly doesn’t spoil the ride comfort as much as you might expect, even on 22-inch optional alloy wheels, allowing you a greater appreciation of the surfaces beneath you to inform your steering and throttle inputs – however over some really rough surfaces you may wish you opted for the standard 21-inch wheels. They contribute to a very relaxed feel, but one that might be a bit too floaty for some on undulating surfaces. It’s nothing you can’t tweak via the drive modes, though.

Add this comfy ride to the X7’s impressive refinement and makes for a very relaxing place to be – an idea car for long-distance journeys in particular.