BMW plotting large luxurious X8 SUV coupe
New trademark from German car maker suggests X7-based SUV coupe in the works, will rival the Bentley BentaygaBMW is secretly developing a flagship SUV coupe that will rival luxury vehicles like the Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus and the recently revealed Rolls-Royce Cullinan.
According to Autocar, who unearthed the patents, the X8 name has been trademarked in markets where BMW operates around the world.
Confirming it was under evaluation, BMW head of development Klaus Frohlich wouldn't confirm the X8 had been approved for production.
"The sector is growing fast, so there will be opportunity," said Frohlich.
"It's early to talk about X8, but one of the first decisions I made when I worked on product strategy was to take the X5 and make the X6.
"Everyone said it was not necessary, but it worked. Now we have the X2, X4 and X6. They are emotional and sporty derivatives that work for us.
"There is room for X8 – especially in China – but there are no decisions yet. Each car must have distinct character, and these are the sort of areas that take time to evaluate," said the development boss.
According to the Brit mag, discussion within BMW are still on-going and chiefly involve what platform a flagship X8 will be based on.
Set to be offered with four- or five seats to help differentiate it from the family-focussed seven-seat X7, the X8 will need a longer wheelbase to accommodate a rakish rear profile without sacrificing space desperately needed to appeal chiefly to the Chinese buyers.
This poses huge problems as the X7's CLAR platform might not be able to stretch that far. This could involve a hybrid platform that would blend the Cullinan's all-aluminium onto the CLAR - a process that would be hugely costly.
As well as China, a large flagship X8 would also appeal to both Russia and the Middle East meaning BMW is will have to offer both an efficient plug-in hybrid and a powerful V8 or V12 powertrain with at least 440kW.
The plug-in powertrain, Autocar suggests, will be lifted from the BMW 740e xDrive iPerformance and combine a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder with an electric motor that, along with a powerful lithium-ion battery, will provide for a range of more than 100km.
If approved by BMW execs, it's expected the BMW X8 will be on sale as soon as 2020.
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