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The new Alpina XB7 packs a mighty 630-hp hybrid engine, contemporary looks, and loads of luxury features for a bonkers $145,000 price tag.
Alpina, BMW's current luxury division was founded in 1962 by Burkard Bovensiepen and had been closely moonlighting for BMW before being acquired on March 10, 2022. Since its formation, Alpina has offered the market a handful of cars that pledge high levels of luxury and stronger performance than the regular BMWs. While there are numerous car tuning companies in the market, Alpina is a company with excellent potential.
Recently, Alpina has introduced the new XB7 and it does get pretty interesting here! Eureka! Alpina has added a mild hybrid system in the new XB7 that makes an astounding 630 ponies, making it the fastest 7-series to date and officially faster than the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600. The 2023 Alpina offers important touches with its XB7. A lounge-like, spacious cabin, Alpina-specific mechanicals, better safety features, and a lot more wait to be nurtured inside.
The 2023 BMW Alpina XB7 costs a whopping $145,000 and can be booked right away. However, here's the hardest part. BMW plans to start the deliveries in early 2023. Until then, save up before you swipe a wholesome 145-grand.
Related: Here’s All You Need To Know About Alpina
The XB7’s overall shell design is very similar to that of the regular X7, but it comes adorned with important Alpina touches. The fascia features a pair of "horizontally-separated" headlight units consisting of sharp LED DRLs and a pair of bi-LED headlamps below. In between, the XB7 flaunts the iconic Kidney Grille, in which Alpina has outfitted LED lights to simulate a glow and waterfall effect.
While most purists hate the XB7’s polarizing look, this generation of the 7-series incorporates better aerodynamics and cooling features. From the back, the XB7 is more extroverted. The Alpina letter and a subtle roof-mounted spoiler make it look seasoned. Below, the quad exhausts and five-chambered diffuser complete the look.
The new Alpina XB7 offers a mesmerizing driving experience with its new mild-hybrid 4.4-liter twin-turbo S68T0 V8 engine. This engine is coupled with a pair of two new turbochargers and a 48-volt electric motor in the eight-speed automatic gearbox.
The new hybrid engine uses a cross-bank exhaust manifold to uniformly distribute gas in the turbochargers to help them deliver their best potential. The 48-volt motor in the gearbox offers slicker gearshifts and improves engine efficiency. Thus, the hybrid engine churns out 630 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of net torque at a fairly low 1,800 rpm, offering a beautiful lower-end punch and swift performance.
The mild-hybrid engine uses a new Alpina-specific engine cooling system that consists of a larger and more optimized cross-section engine cooler, a built-in transmission cooler, external oil and water coolers, and a low-temperature circuit cooler to ensure maximum cooling abilities for high performance.
Related: Hemmings Find: Ultra-Rare 2003 BMW Z8 Alpina
With the new hybrid V8 and modern mechanical features, the new Alpina XB7 is capable of accelerating from zero to sixty miles in just 3.9 seconds and takes only 12.4 seconds to cover a quarter-mile. BMW also claims the XB7 is capable of attaining a top speed of 180 mph with the optional 21-inch wheels and the performance tire package, which the Bavarian business offers as a no-cost option. More impressively, the XB7 now offers up to 7,500 pounds of towing capacity.
In comparison, the 2023 Alpina XB7’s nearest competitor, the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600, offers 550 hp at 6000 rpm and takes 4.7 seconds to hit sixty and 12.9 seconds to cover the quarter-mile.
The 2023 Alpina XB7 features BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system and boasts a high ground clearance of 8.4 inches. The all-wheel-drive system comes equipped with an electronically-variable rear limited-slip differential to enhance the grip in challenging conditions.
The chassis comes equipped with a set of new adaptive suspensions to deliver exceptional ride comfort and poised road manners. The adaptive suspensions are built with Alpina-specific dampers and provide three situation-specific adjustable settings.
The system adjusts the suspension by an additional 1.6 inches to help it perform better off-road. Additionally, the system reduces the ride height by 0.8-1.6 inches through the Sport or Sport+ modes, offering better stability at 100-155 mph.
On top of that, Alpina has also equipped the new XB7 with a rear-wheel steering system to provide 2.3-degrees of left-to-right maneuverability for sharper steering response at high speeds. The highly advanced steering system caters to the XB7 with a short turning radius of 21.4 feet, which is astonishing considering it is a 3-seater SUV with 122.2-inches of wheelbase. All these make the new XB7 an impressive performer in the city, off-road, or on tracks.
The XB7’s interior layout is one of its standout features. The dashboard design is futuristic, highly ergonomic, and unique, with the curved display showing the digital cluster on the left side and an infotainment system on the right. For decoration, Alpina offers interior customization through ten different interior trims, ranging from carbon fiber to wooden accents.
Seating is catered for 6-7 people, with extended Merino leather seats as standard. For a richer experience, full Merino leather seats and Lavalina leather seats are available. The front features BMW Comfort seats with power adjustment, heating, and other features. Ultra-luxurious features like M Sport ventilated front seats, a massage function, and M Sport seat belts are also offered.
The infotainment system gets the new iDrive 8 interface operating system, offering best-in-class graphics and intuitive controls. The interior features a standard Harman Kardon premium audio system, but a new B&W Diamond premium surround audio system is available.
Sourav hails from Siliguri, a city very close to the Himalayas in the northern part of West Bengal, India. Anything that has to do with wheels fascinates him. He has a soft spot for Lexus and BMW. He rides a Royal Enfield Thunderbird and is often seen with his group of friends in nearby hill stations. He also loves doing photography and making music. After working with CARHP and CAR INDIGO for more than 15 months, he joined HotCars to continue in automotive writing. He's currently crushing upon the Triumph Tiger 1200.