BMW is on a roll these days with new or revised models, like the new M5, i8 Roadster and X2, as well as the facelifted 2 Series Active Tourer. These are going to be joined by a number of even cooler cars later this year, like the 8 Series, Z4, X4, and the X7 flagship. The latter is rumored to arrive at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November this year.
Interestingly, the Bavarian company has decided to lift the veil of the CLAR-based SUV in LA instead of Paris a couple of weeks earlier. Nothing is confirmed at the moment, but Autocar, a trustworthy source for debut rumors, is reporting the vehicle will make its public premiere in the City of Angels.
The main target of the first-ever X7 will be the American and Chinese markets, but it will also be available in a number of versions in Europe. Pre-production prototypes are already out testing and are being assembled at BMW's South Carolina plant in the U.S., where the final production version is also going to be built.
Initially, according to Autocar, the mammoth SUV will be offered to customers only with traditional internal combustion engines, including a 4.4-liter biturbo V8, a 3.0-liter diesel, and probably a range-topping V12-equipped X7 xDrive M60i. Eventually, a hybrid powertrain will join the range, combining a 2.0-liter turbo gas motor with an electric motor, providing a zero-emission range of about 60 miles. (96 kilometers).
Roughly the same size as the Mercedes-Benz GLS and the Land Rover Range Rover, the X7 will compete against the Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Navigator, and the likes on the U.S. market. The only real alternative in Europe will be the GLS.
Given the November debut, we expect customer deliveries to begin by the end of the year or early 2019.
