Despite being introduced just three years ago, the current X5’s lifespan will allegedly be very short ,as a successor of the X5 is said to be in advanced stages of development.
It might not seem logical for the German manufacturer to kill a perfectly good premium SUV equipped with the latest tech.
On the other hand, there’s a good reason for that, for Autocar says the next X5 will share the firm’s new Cluster architecture (CLAR) with the upcoming flagship X7, as reports.
Paving the road for the X7, the next-gen X5 will follow a similar path as the current 7-Series and should be available in both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive. Powertrains will include a 3.0-liter straight-six engine, a fresh twin-turbo V8 and a 6.0-liter V12 in range-topper versions. Quoting BMW‘s head of sales and marketing, the British publication states that a hybrid variant might join the lineup later on.
When it comes to the X7, BMW will not just extend the wheelbase of the next X5, as it will be a completely new vehicle. Previous info hinted towards two versions of the flagship SUV, a 7-seater and a different looking 4-seater, with the latter offered as a “niche vehicle” and expected to account for approximately 1 percent of X7 sales. Rather than borrowing the engine lineup from the new X5, the X7 is expected to “pick engines from the entire BMW range.“
Renderings via TheophilusChin
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