BMW confirms production of X7 SUV for 2016

We had revealed earlier that luxury carmaker BMW has plans to expand their manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, US, to build their new X7 SUV. BMW has now officially confirmed the same. This announcement was made by Norbert Reithofer, CEO, BMW AG at Spartanburg plant's 20 years celebration event. The X7 will be the biggest SUV manufactured by BMW, and the production of the same will begin in 2016. Also Read: BMW gets ready to launch new 7-seater SUV

BMW hasn’t revealed much about the model, but we expect it to be a seven-seater SUV. The X7 will be based on the extended platform of the X5 and X6 SUVs. Unlike the X5, which is also available with four-cylinder engines and in rear-wheel-drive configuration, the X7 is expected to be offered exclusively with six- and eight-cylinder engines and in all-wheel-drive only. Plug-in hybrid technology will also feature in some variants.

BMW plans to boost the annual production at the Spartanburg plant by 50 per cent, thus increasing the number to 4,50,000 vehicles by 2016, with the introduction of this new model. The plant also houses the production of X5 M and X6 M models. A new BMW X6 will also be revealed this summer ahead of its sales by the end of this year. To fulfill this estimated demand and production of new models BMW is investing approximately Rs 6,000 crore by 2016 at its Spartanburg facility.

The X7 will intensify the competition between BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and will directly compete with the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class SUV. This new car is expected to be launched by 2018, and we expect it to come to India as well.