Driving test Alpina XB7: Super sled with 621 reindeer (s)
Created: 01/03/2022Updated: 01/03/2022, 9:25 AM
From: Rudolf Bögel
Lord of the Autobahn.
The Alpina XB7 is a comfortable cruiser, but it can also go off like a sports car.
© Alpina
Stately 621 hp, space for seven, fine leather and crystal glass.
How does the Alpina XB7, which costs at least 158,900 euros, ride?
Weighing 2.7 tons - the XB7 still drives like a sports car
This is what distinguishes the Alpina SUV from a normal BMW
From Bentley to Lamborghini - these are the toughest competitors
A hot sleigh with 621 reindeer (s): if Santa Claus wanted a modern vehicle for delivery - he would use an XB7 from Alpina.
Off-road, as fast as an arrow, with a huge space.
A
touring limousine from another planet.
A heavenly vehicle, but it also has its infernal sides.
A little (a little) more is always possible - this motto is more or less the DNA of Alpina.
The sports car manufacturer from Buchloe in Bavaria is, in prosaic terms, BMW's in-house tuner.
The basis is always the top model in the series - on top of that, the Allgäu not only use three M. More power, more comfort, more luxury.
Read more current driving reports here.
Elegance in the garage.
But that costs.
The Alpina XB7 starts at just under 160,000 euros.
© Alpina
Also read:
The new Kia Sportage: What you should know about the compact SUV.
Alpina XB7: from 0 to 200 km / h in 14.9 seconds
In the case of Santa's dream car, it is an X7, the largest and most powerful SUV from Bayerische Motorenwerke.
As the M50 i, with its 530 hp, it is not exactly an orphan boy.
But with the “little bit more”, the Alpina now gets 621 hp from the V8 engine, puts 800 Nm of torque on the axles, and balances the 2.7 tons from
0 to 100 in 4.2 seconds
: And who's the same wants to take off on the autobahn, which lands in 14.9 seconds at 200 km / h.
The XB7, as it is called after the power cure, is on par with the Bentley Bentayga (14.6 seconds), but has to admit defeat to the Lamborghini Urus: The Italian covers the same distance in a brutal 11.9 seconds.
Apart from a few small things, the cockpit of the XB7 looks like a conventional BMW..jpg © Alpina
Alpina XB7: In a league with Rolls Royce, Bentley and Maybach
Which means we're already in the league in which Alpina is involved with this sled.
Bentayga and Urus on the sporty side, Rolls Royce Cullinan and Mercedes Maybach GLS 600 on the luxury liners.
A truly illustrious group - but in which the Alpina has occupied an exclusive niche.
Because in the combination of its advantages, the
Allgäu SUV-Express has a real unique position
.
One describes oneself as a “manufacturer of exclusive automobiles” - that sounds a bit outdated after the 1960s, but it still hits the nail on the head.
Where other manufacturers rattle a coarse saber for both performance and luxury, the technicians and outfitters from Buchloe fence with a fine foil.
Mighty rear end, mighty exhaust pipes.
The XB7 is a big hit, especially in the USA.
© Alpina
Soft rumbling instead of snotty roaring
It starts with the implementation of the service. 621 HP can be put on the road at puberty or something like Alpina.
There is no roaring exhaust, no pipe spitting
- with a full roar of the exhaust system, which works with the deep tones of a whole double bass battery, you roll with a gentle rumble of thunder on the motorway. If necessary, of course at lightning speed. A look at the power development shows the true qualities of the revised bi-turbo engine. The engine, which has a different charger and a larger cooling system than the standard model, already reaches its maximum torque of 800 Newton meters (Nm) at 2000 rpm and maintains this level on this plateau up to 5000 rpm. You are always on the move with confidence. Be it on the motorway or when overtaking quickly on the country road.
Also read:
Honda Civic Type R in the driving test: The blue acceleration miracle.
The chassis is lowered by 40 mm
The
redesigned chassis of the XB7
is also sovereign and cultivated
. The two-axle air suspension leaves nothing to be desired. Neither in the extremely comfortable configuration of Comfort +, with which you can cover long distances on the motorway in a relaxed manner like in a business class armchair, nor in the razor-sharp Sport + mode, in which the level of the chassis is lowered by 40 millimeters to achieve the highest possible dynamics and maneuverability thanks to the low center of gravity. The intelligent distribution of power between the axles and the wheels helps. And of course also the rear axle steering. This means that the 5.15 meter long ship, basically equipped as a 7-seater, can be moved lightly. And that despite the 2.7 tonnes live weight.
Looking forward from the third row of seats.
With seven seats, the XB7 even has bus qualities.
© Alpina
Alpina XB7 a rare guest in Germany
Which brings us to the dark side of the brisk Allgäu speedster. Both
CO2 emissions (311 g / km) and consumption (13.7 liters officially, 15.3 in the test)
show values that no longer quite fit into the time when sustainability is the focus. However - and this is often forgotten in the discussion - it is about small quantities and other markets than the European one. You will rarely see the XB7 on German autobahns - because this SUV is one for the Americans. There, with an Alpina at the petrol station, you should be among the low consumers. Among all the pick-ups and town cars, the dimensions of an X7, which by European standards are almost frightening, are shrinking.
Blue illuminated crystal glass.
Such optical gimmicks are standard with the XB7 from Alpina.
© Alpina
Crystal glass and Lavalina leather
The
Alpina SUV is also in the top league in terms of price and equipment
. It starts at 158,900 euros. There are hardly any limits to the limit, especially if you let the Alpina Manufaktur design your interior for you. For example from our own saddlery. She works with the finest Lavalina leather. Even Rolls Royce has equipped its vehicles with this material, which is heavier than other types of leather and fades heavier and is more greaseproof. On the other hand, the series on the Alpina XB7 includes the cool glass applications on the center console. The gear switch, volume control, i-drive controller and start-stop button are made of crystal and are partially illuminated from the inside. With the classic Alpina blue, of course.
Also read:
Mini SUVs from Citroën to Hyundai to VW: This is how much the models cost according to ADAC.
One for santa?
Our conclusion on the Alpina XB7
Bigger is hardly possible, nor stronger.
However, what really convinced us was the sophistication and sovereignty of the XB7, which is in stark contrast to its powerful exterior.
Unfortunately, that won't get any better with the facelift, which is due at least for BMW in 2022.
Then this vehicle will probably also risk the
thick lip with the voracious cooler mouth, which is
so
strongly criticized
by many fans
.
Ho, ho, ho - if we were Santa Claus, then we would quickly add the hot sleigh with its 621 reindeer to our wish list beforehand.
Technical data Alpina XB7
Engine: V8 4.4-liter gasoline engine
Displacement: 4,395 cc
Maximum power: 457 kW / 621 PS at 5,500 - 6500 rpm
Maximum torque: 800 Nm at 2,000 to 5,000 rpm
8-speed sports automatic, all-wheel drive
0-100 km / h: 4.2 s
0-200 km / h: 14.9 s
Top speed: 290 km / h *
Standard consumption: 13.7 l / 100 km *
CO2 emissions (WLTP): 311 g / km *
Length / width / height: 5.15 / 2.00 / 1.80 meters
Boot space: 750 - 2120 l
Empty weight (perm): 2655 (710) kg
Trailer load (used): 3500 kg
Price from 158,900 euros
Rudolf Bögel * tz.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
