BMW is currently still expanding its product portfolio but a slight change can be noticed over which cars are given more importance over the others. More and more sources inside Munich claim that niche models that aren’t doing too well in the sales department will be dropped and therefore. So cars like the 4 Series Gran Coupe or the 3 Series Gran Turismo might find themselves migrating to different layouts in the future. On the other hand, the SUV side of things is doing great and that means we’ll get to see more models with an X in their name, the latest rumor pointing to a possible BMW X8.
The people over at Autocar are claiming that the Bavarian brand is pondering the introduction of a more luxurious model than the X7 in the future, an SUV that would wear the X8 nameplate and would, probably, follow the same recipe as the X4 and X6 models before it. Therefore, the rumored X8 would be a sort of Coupe or Gran Coupe version of the X7, with all the luxury that comes with it and then some. The biggest issue with this claim, however, is that it can’t be backed by any other source. Furthermore, officials went out of their way to deny plans for such a car.
“There is room for X8 – especially in markets like China – but there are no decisions yet. Each car must have a distinct character, and these are the sort of areas that take time to evaluate,” said BMW’s head of development, Klaus Fröhlich. At the same time, the official did leave some room for speculation and, truth be told, anything seems possible at this moment: “The sector is growing fast, so there will be opportunity,” said Fröhlich. “It is early to talk about X8.”
A possible BMW X8 would be a high-end contender with only four seats, offering ample room in the back for the passengers. It would most likely be built atop a lightweight platform and could use an electric powertrain. If this was to happen, it would be viewed as a rival for the Bentayga or upper-end Range Rover models but then again, the X7 will most likely do all of those things, without having to add a new car to the line-up.
