Flagship SUV appears in concept form and is being promised with grand proportions and semi-electric drivetrain when sales start in 2018.
Is it trying to impersonate a Rolls-Royce?
This is the BMW Concept X7 iPerformance, a preview of the brand’s forthcoming flagship SUV taking on the Mercedes-Benz GLS that will debut at the Frankfurt motor show next week.
Confirmed for production in late 2018, the X7 has grand proportions to almost make it look like a Rolls-Royce, itself set to launch an SUV next year under the Project Cullinan name.
Measuring over 5m in length and 2m in width, the X7 highlights an upright stance dominated by huge, long kidney grilles up front and 23-inch wheels. Whether these exaggerated cues will make it to production remains to be seen.
The six-seat interior is made airy with a large glass roof and incorporates a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and touchscreen on the dashboard. The second-row passengers also get to play with touchscreens fitted behind the front seats.
Hope it won’t be a gas-guzzler…
Because of its size, there’s a good chance that the smallest motor will be a six-cylinder. But to offset its thirst for fuel, the X7 should be coming with a plug-in hybrid, hence the iPerformance moniker tagged to the concept car.
For buyers less concerned about gas bills, particularly those in the US and Middle East, V8 and V12 engines are also possible. Nevertheless, BMW sources suggest that some sort of electrification is set to appear across the range.
At the moment, the GLS comes with conventional technologies and is about to reach the end of its lifecycle in its current generation.
Will it share anything with the Rolls-Royce?
That’s still unknown, although it wouldn’t be surprising if many things under the skin (what buyers won’t be able to see) will be shared with the Rolls-Royce. After all, BMW owns the world’s most prestigious luxury car brand.
But while the X7 is set to compete in the 7-8 million baht price bracket should BMW Thailand pitch it against the GLS in six-pot form, Rolls-Royce will do its usual strut by pricing its SUV for over 30 million baht.
