BMW has been wanting to expand its portfolio in India and there are more SUVs coming our way. We've already told you that the X4 will be launched in the country next year, while the X5 (which we've recently driven) is all set to grace our shores very soon. The X family in India will see a new addition in the form of the BMW X7 and the biggest SUV from the German manufacturer has been confirmed for launch in India. The X7 will feature three-row seating and will be built at BMW's Spartanburg plant in South Carolina, US. So, there's no doubt that the It has already undergone several rounds of extensive testing on different terrains ranging from ice and snow fields in the arctic circle to desert and gravel in South Africa. As we've already told you, the X7 will be unveiled in its production guise ay the LA Auto Show.
Also Read: BMW X7 Unveiled
The BMW X7 will be revealed at the LA Motor Show
The new flagship SUV from the German automaker will borrow its design and styling cues from the X7 concept, which was unveiled early this year at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The SUV will be based on the company's CLAR modular platform, which also underpins the company's flagship sedan, the 7 Series.
Hildegard Wortmann, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific BMW Group said in an interview with carandbike, "On a world wide scale, the X family has become about 1/3rd of our volume, so it's substantial, and if you look in the infrastructure here in the Indian market, if you look at the customer demands, I think it's the perfect fit. So yes the X range is actually important here, when you see its successful numbers as well. So having that model up run and coming next year is very exciting. Personally I think the big news will be the X7, where again we created something very special, very new, and I think that one will have very big impact."
Also Read: BMW Plans 12 New Models For India In 2019
The teaser images released by the company from the assembly line also reveal certain details like the large kidney-shaped grille, like the one seen in the concept, the new sleeker twin pod LED headlamps, a muscular front bumper with large air intakes.
The BMW X7 will be built at the company's Spartanburg plant in South Carolina, US
We expect the 3.0-litre, in-line six-cylinder diesel engine to be the base powertrain for India which most likely will be mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Being the flagship SUV all-wheel drive will be standard. Global markets are likely to get the 4.4-litre petrol V8 and the plug-in hybrid models, but so far, there's no confirmation if these will be introduced in India. The BMW X7 will compete with the Range Rover and Mercedes GLS in India, once it's launched, sometime in late 2019.
