BMW is prepping to expand its crossover lineup — now at seven nameplates — once again, with a sporty version of the flagship X7.
While BMW has not announced plans for the new crossover, the automaker recently registered the X8 M trademark, as reported by X7Forum.com.
It’s not clear whether the X8 would be approved for the U.S.
Production of the X8 “fastback,” which would compete against the Lamborghini Urus and Porsche Cayenne Coupe, could begin at BMW’s Spartanburg, S.C., plant in summer 2022, said Sam Fiorani, vice president at AutoForecast Solutions.
Consumers have evolved from desiring sedans to crossovers, and traditional coupe buyers are doing the same.
“A top of the line sporty crossover appeals to the person who would have purchased a performance two-seater or coupe a generation or two ago,” Fiorani said in an email. “Instead of buying something like a BMW 850Ci, today’s version of that driver would be behind the wheel of a more practical fastback crossover, such as an X8.”
The BMW X8 would likely be based on the same platform as the three-row X7 crossover launched in early 2019. Sales of the X7 have totaled 26,156 through the first quarter of 2020.
The X7’s turbocharged powertrains — a 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine or a 4.4-liter V-8, which generates as much as 523 hp in the M version — could be shared with the X8, Fiorani said.