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-   -   BMW X7 40d Review | Driving the B57 engine (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/278277-bmw-x7-40d-review-driving-b57-engine.html)

So lately the Diesels have taken a really bad PR hit & this video is an effort from my side as a big fan of Diesel cars to make a good case for the Diesels & to help me in my cause I have with me the latest BMW X7 which is equipped with a Diesel engine marvel in the form of the B57 which is not only Powerful, Smooth, good on Economy but also the Emissions.

https://youtu.be/s6dOccI6uQo

For those who prefer text may read on;

A quick review of the BMW X7 40d;

Likes;

- Engine Performance (Diesel B57's torque, refinement, power delivery, FE, Range & overall versatility is a big like)
- Ride (Absolutely phenomenal suspension setup, ride comfort is top notch considering 45 profile tyres.)
- Handling (The car manages its weight, size & dimensions well, very easy to drive fast)
- Gearbox (8 speed ZF is the best in business)
- Very Spacious (All rows feel good on space)

Dislikes;

- Pricing (pre Lci was 99L ex-showroom at launch, now its increased by more than 25%, which is too high for a facelift)
- Misses out on Massage seats (would have been a nice addition), also not sure if a 7 seat version is available.
- The X7 looks undertyred with a 285/45 Squared Tyre setup (X5 gets staggered, 315 at Rear).
- I Personally prefer the pre LCi X7's styling (front end).
- iDrive 8 & A/C vents take time getting used to.

Driving Performance;



The B57 over the years has had many variations like B57D30O0 or B57D30S0 but the 40d of the BMW X7 gets the B57 TU3. i.e. B57 with the Technical Update 3;



^ Above 40d engine produces 340 HP & 700 NM.



The engine achieves its maximum power output of 340 HP at 4,400 rpm, but Importantly the Max torque of 700 nm is available & "felt" somewhere between 1750 rpm and 2250 rpm.

What's interesting is that just sometime back the X7 M50d which was a quad turbo produced 760 NM where as the x7 40d with the TU3 produces almost the same torque output @ 700NM & with just a 2 stage Twin turbo setup.

BMW and their supplier who are forced induction experts at Garrett in their quest to prolong the life of diesel engines by electrifying them and developing new technologies that increase efficiency and power while lowering emissions, One such innovation is the two-stage VNT (variable nozzle turbine) turbochargers used in this 3.0 L B57 inline-six diesel.



According to Garrett, the throttle response & torque delivery are smoother and more powerful when compared to single turbo or conventional two-stage turbo systems. This in addition to the already creamy nature of BMW Diesels the feeling of driving these is absolutely unparalleled.



All this with a very high Un-Diesel like redline of around 5500 rpm;



What a feeling :D

Overall I personally believe the 40d is truly a pinnacle in Diesel engineering and a marvel in its own right.



Interestingly the M50d is discontinued.

Fuel Economy;

When i got the car the range was almost 1000 kms this was a media/fleet test car which means its subject to above average acceleration & a lot of idling etc. still the range being such for a 80L fuel tank is very impressive.

The quoted official FE number is approx. 14.3 km/l which IMO is staggering for a car which is so powerful, big dimensions/size & heavy (weighs >2.5 MT);



I did some test at cruising speeds and the FE I was getting (around 18-19 km/l) was way above quoted numbers;



Technically the B57 gets a new pressure sensor integrated into the injector which ensures exceptionally precise dosing, great fuel economy and clean combustion.

We also need to note that this B57 is assisted with 48V hybrid tech;



The main way in which this system saves fuel is by coasting. If your foot isn't on the gas, then the engine is shut off, de-coupled from the powertrain and the car sails (enabling " Sailing " feature which is basically coasting) along. The starter motor can kick the 3L diesel back into life much quicker and with lower vibration (very seamless too) than normal starters. Also, it can help with propulsion under certain conditions. Do note that the dynamic power delivery from the 48V electrical unit measures around 11 hp & is useful also during the start and acceleration phases of the vehicle.

Emissions;

The main narrative about banning diesels & demonising diesels is about the Emissions. So let's address this issue. While I was researching on the B57 motor I got to know an interesting fact, more of a revelation.

The X7 is on sale in India with two engines, the petrol 40i & the diesel which is this the 40d.

Here are some screenshots from the BMW India website of the emissions rating of the petrol;



As you can read above the combined co2 emissions of the petrol is 210 g/km.

& the 40d;



Diesel has a combined co2 emissions of only 185 g/km.

As far as I know when it comes to emissions the lower the number the better, right ? There we have it, the diesels are now getting cleaner too.

To conclude things it would be fair to say that the Diesels are Fighting back, as enthusiasts we need to fight for them too & continue to buy diesels. I would also love to see M Performance Diesels like the M340d, X3 M40d, X5 M50d etc be available at an accessible price. In the case of the B57 it manages Performance, Fuel Economy & its Environmental Responsibility very well, but you never know how the narrative can be twisted in the future against diesels again hence i'l repeat BUY DIESELS TILL YOU CAN.

Actually, it's quite misleading. Diesels do emit less CO2 than petrols, but that isn't the whole picture. The more problematic components of a diesel engine's emissions are oxides of nitrogen and fine particulate matter.

Petrols also result in other types of emissions. However, it's much cheaper to treat them than a diesel.

That being said, for large SUVs - on balance - diesels, parallel hybrids (the ones of the Toyota variety), and BEVs make much more sense than the phoney HEVS and the PHEVs offered by the luxury marques.

Very nice and informative Video Karan. I agree, the Turbo Diesels are exceptional in delivering superb performance yet great FE. It’s a shame they are falling out of favour. I have the 530d and absolutely love it.
Enjoy while they last.
But the writing is on the wall!

This engine is peak ICE, nothing comes close when you want to combine performance and economy. Buy one now, and enjoy 1000 km range with a full load and AC on, it'll be atleast a decade before this has a direct replacement. The days of economical road trips will be distant memory with anti diesel tantrums from the usual ignoramuses.

It's sad to see turbo diesel go away. As a driver who just got his license two years ago, I am probably someone who will never be able to own a powerful, yet frugal turbo diesel. One of the cars I drove after getting my license was a tuned Rapid TDI MT, which my maternal uncle owned, and the torquey feel it gave was just unmatched. It could effortlessly cruise through the highways, and could also be accelerated hard and fast, and yet he tells me the mileage never dropped below 15 on the highways.

Calm cruising at 100 routinely yielded unbelievable efficiency. It always gave him 12 kmpl+, even in the city in the worst of bumper-to-bumper traffic. Alas, he had to replace it with its successor, the Skoda Slavia 1.5 TSI and while it's a fantastic and fast car, if you decide to floor the pedal, you have to be ready for the pretty drastic drop in efficiency.

He also says he's never got a two-digit mileage figure in city traffic, which must hurt a bit after coming from such a frugal car. I still don't understand why modern diesels are vilified. BS6 diesel engines do a very good job of keeping particulate emissions under control, their unmatched efficiency means that they'll still burn a lot less fuel than equivalent gas-guzzling turbo petrol, still, they are perpetually on the government's hit list, centre and state.

They brought in regulations that massively increased the price delta between petrol and diesel, okay, understandable because of the complex equipment that is needed to make them cleaner, and made it such that they make sense only for high mileage highway tourers, as or else you open yourself up to DPF and DEF issues, then they vilified diesel with stupid bans (looking at you NCR), which completely eroded consumer confidence in owning a diesel because who knows when your city will do something like that and voila, your resale value goes to shambles.

It's just sad. I grew up around diesel cars and always dreamt of owning a luxury turbo diesel one day. Now, I'm pretty sure that by the time I have the money to do so, the turbo-diesel will either be dead or will be but a shadow of their former glorious selves.

Thanks a lot! "Honest" reviews / feedbacks and details about diesels are simply muted out in today's world that seeks to demonize diesel engines for convenience, overlooking the overall clean nature post BS6 especially. In a world where horrible fuming CNG buses are considered "green" and diesels are branded pollutants because its easier to impart this on unaware consumers - its reviews and threads like this - are some consolation for die-hard diesel fans like me.

Thanks again for the nice review and thread! Cheers.

Thank you Karan for the informative review.

The X7 is an underappreciated family hauler. I didn't believe Doug De Muro when he claimed that it was the best car in the segment back in 2019.

The more I read about it the more I liked it. The features that I would look at if I were buying a car in this segment

1. The engines
2. Very usable 3rd row made better by the 3rd row sunroof
3. 3 row climate control

I agree that the GLS looks way better and the Defender takes the cake when it comes to street creds, but the X7 is the best tradeoff between performance, utility, and reliability. I'm not accounting offroad ability since almost one in this segment in India would take it off the sealed surface.

Lovely review to remind us all of the charms of German diesels. The insane torque, effortless pulling power, the explosive midrange, the unexpectedly good fuel economy, and most importantly fewer stops to refuel on those long road trips.

I do wish BMW would offer the 40D tune in the X5 though. The X5 is at the very end in the size scale of what one might buy to self drive. It would be fun to have this tune in a slightly smaller and lighter car (although the X5 is quite a behemoth in itself). The X5 also looks a whole lot better than the X7. I would seriously consider getting an X5 40D as my main car though I self drive. There are simply no good 6 cylinder alternatives in the segment below - the X3, GLC etc.have all stopped providing 6 cylinder options (except the X3 M40i which is a petrol). Petrols are simply not as good as diesels at handling SUV body styles due to the increased weight, body shape causing higher wind resistance etc.

buzzy boy, Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I personally believe that all technologies can co-exist together, but targeting diesels singlehandedly should stop.

Thanks XDriver , Yes the 530d will remain special.

Well said avira , I Agree :thumbs up

Thanks for sharing your emotional experiences.

Dont worry, we won't let that happen.

Hi Reinhard, thanks for you special appreciation towards my effort, content and this thread :thumbs up

Thanks cooldip.

The street crew is surely solid. I have driven (& filmed, reviewed) the GLS400d too, love that engine as well but the X7 handles better for sure.

Thanks 84.monsoon.

Exactly. The only reason I could think of is that they are shielding the x7. Also the X5 Lci looks fantastic so with the 40d it would be a solid BUY.

Great review, Karan!

Not only are the emissions better in gms/km, the diesel goes further than the petrol per litre of fuel, due to the better efficiency. This is blasphemous in view of the blanket negative connotations against diesel engines in this country.