Aimed at rivals such as the Mercedes-Benz GLS as well as LR’s Range Rover, and possibly even Bentley’s Bentayga, BMW‘s new flagship SUV is ready to hold court as the X5’s larger brother.

With that sort of unofficial title, we’d imagine great responsibility should also follow, as the Bavarian automaker definitely can’t afford to let the X7 look or feel underwhelming in any way.

Judging by these spy shots, we’re looking at a very large and possibly imposing SUV. It’s hard to miss those oversized double kidney grilles, which might feature the new “upside down” design we first saw on the X2 concept.

According to our spy photographers, the X7’s front bumper will have a different styling than the one used on the X5 – as it should since people will want to drive a car with a unique personality, and not just a longer, taller X5. Speaking of being longer, those rear doors look huge, especially compared to the ones on a GLS, though we obviously can’t know for sure yet.

Underneath all that vinyl is a stretched version of BMW’s CLAR platform, which is already used on the new 7 and 5-series and will also underpin the new X5 and all-new 3-Series. Basically, BMW will use the same platform on everything from the 3-Series upwards. In terms of engines, the X7 should feature both gasoline and diesel units with six and eight cylinders, plus a four-cylinder plug-in hybrid version.

According to a recent report, BMW is also pondering the addition of an X7 M model to the range, as a direct rival to the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63.

As for its cabin, the BMW X7 will feature all the latest gadgets and gizmos found in the current 7-Series and 5-Series models, which means plenty of semi-autonomous tech and excellent connectivity services. By the way, a report from last year stated that the X7 could come with three possible interior configurations: 5-seats, 7-seats and four-seats in order to further emphasize the luxury factor. As of right now, that’s still a possibility.

Production is set to begin at BMW’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina in 2018, which means the X7 will hit the streets as a MY2019.

Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops

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