A refresh of the BMW X7 SUV is coming. It is, as the name suggests, a big and bolder brother to the BMW X5. It's got more power, a larger footprint, and climbs even further up BMW's luxury hierarchy. Now, that refresh might have just been leaked ahead of the vehicle's official debut.

What you're looking at in the image below is said leak. On the surface, things look pretty official. The lower left side bore the text "The X7," and to us, it looks a lot like BMW's font of choice. As for the image itself (despite not being in the highest resolution), has all the makings of a press photo. Perfect lighting, a dramatic backdrop, and no other brands, logos, or products visible. Just the car and the scenery. It sure looks like the real deal to us.

As for the car itself, there's another big departure from BMW design. By another, we're of course referring to BMW's recent penchant for big grilles over the traditionally restrained kidney design it has used in the past. The big departure in question is that of the headlights. They're a little more Genesis SUV and a little less BMW SUV. The top appears to house the daytime running light, and perhaps a low-beam bulb. That leaves the high beams or fogs to the lower part of the design.

The rest of the front is pretty typical of BMW these days. Big grille? Check. The same U-shaped lower air intake and splitter on just about every BMW since the E46? Also, check.

Bulgy hood with some lines across it? Also, yes. Unfortunately, we don't have leaked photos of the rear, but we expect minor tweaks befitting of a mid-cycle refresh like this. Usually, when photos like this make their way out into the wild, it means a reveal is imminent. However, BMW has been pretty quiet about it. There hasn't been so much of a whisper about the 2023 X7 out of Munich in some time. Who knows? Perhaps people talking a lot about the split-light design will force the Bavarian brand's hand.