BMW X7 confirmed – but will it take on the Range Rover?

BMW today confirmed it will produce an all-new X7 model at its Spartanburg, US plant – reinforcing the American factory’s position as BMW’s largest production facility in the world.

The new X7 is expected to be a large seven-seat range-topper that will appeal to the US market; it will probably be a rival to the Mercedes-Benz GL – and thus potentially be a premium alternative to the luxury Range Rover.

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BMW hasn’t confirmed anything other than the fact it will be ‘larger’ than the X5 and X6.

BMW AG chairman Norbert Reithofer made the X7 announcement at a ceremony to mark 20 years of BMW’s Spartanburg plant. He said that “with the BMW X7, we are developing another, larger X model, which we will produce at our U.S. plant for our world markets – once again underscoring our commitment to the U.S.”

It will join BMW X3, X5, X5 M, X6 and X6 M models on the production line – and also the BMW X4, which began production today at the firm’s SUV centre of excellence.

BMW isn’t stopping there, either. By 2016, it will have invested a total of $1 billion in Spartanburg, to increase capacity by half up to 450,000 vehicles. This will create 800 new jobs, taking the US workforce up to nearly 9,000 (and supporting a total of 30,000 jobs in the South Carolina region). “It will also make Spartanburg the largest plant in terms of production capacity in our global production network,” confirmed Reithofer.

Since 1994, the plant has built over 2.6 million vehicles and has become the largest vehicle exporter of all plants in the US – 7 in 10 models built there are sent abroad (which is why US officials like it so much).

With the new X7, expected to arrive in 2016 or 2017, this will expand further. But what will BMW’s new range-topping luxury seven-seat SUV look like – and what would you like it to deliver? Will it be a genuine rival to the luxury Range Rover? Share your thoughts and ideas below.

Take a look at what others think the BMW X7 will look line on Bing, too…

On Bing: BMW X7 speculation

By motoringresearch.com