Spy Shots: BMW Prepares Larger Electric Flagship SUV as 2028 iX7 New Model, Now in Testing

BMW is moving ahead with a new electric flagship SUV, and the first prototypes already show where the project is heading. The model under development is the iX7, scheduled for series production in September 2027 at the company’s Spartanburg plant. Unlike the future iX5 and the Neue Klasse based iX3, this larger electric SUV keeps a more familiar visual direction instead of adopting a sharper break in design language.

The body keeps a tall profile. Surfaces look square and upright, with proportions close to the next combustion-powered X7. BMW also stretches the vehicle slightly beyond the length of today’s X7, which becomes easier to notice from the side, especially near the larger rear quarter glass and the long roof section.

At the front, the lighting arrangement follows a split layout. Slim daytime running lights sit high, close to the kidney grille line, while the main headlamp modules sit lower in the bumper. Between them, the grille area stays dominant, though the hood above it changes shape. A shallow central recess runs toward the badge, giving the front panel a different contour than the current model.

Door handles move in a reduced format, using thin wing-like elements integrated into the doors. BMW also leaves the rear unfinished for now. The taillights still do not reflect final production hardware, though the vertical rear shape and large tailgate already define the back section clearly.

One detail from the rear angle says a lot. The floor section looks flat, and there are no exhaust finishers. This confirms the electric layout shown by the prototype.

The project sits on updated Cluster Architecture foundations. Internally, BMW labels the standard versions G67, while Alpina uses G69 for its own derivative. Several technologies already introduced with the iX3 are expected here too, including hardware linked to Neue Klasse development.

Inside, BMW prepares a cabin likely to divide opinion. A conventional instrument cluster is absent. Panoramic iDrive places projection functions at the lower edge of the windshield, extending across the width ahead of the driver. Physical switches are reduced again, and BMW’s latest operating system works with unusual steering wheel designs and no traditional start button.

Instead, the drive-ready sequence follows a sensor-based process already used by the iX3 and related i3.

The range is expected to include 50 xDrive, 60 xDrive, and M70 xDrive versions. Alpina is understood to prepare a 100 xDrive variant, though third-row seating may not be part of that version.

Performance figures for the top BMW trim point toward serious output. Since the i7 M70 xDrive currently delivers 650 horsepower and 811 pound-feet, or 1,100 Newton-meters, from two electric drive units in US specification, the iX7 M70 xDrive is positioned near that level, possibly above it.

Spy Shots: 2028 BMW iX7 – Photo Gallery

Photo sources: autoevolution.com