New BMW X7 could get four-cylinder power

OFFICIAL

THE forthcoming BMW X7 could yet be offered with a four-cylinder engine, alongside straight-six and V8 petrol and diesel editions, Auto Express has learned.

It will go on sale in the first half of 2019, giving BMW a rival for the Range Rover and a new flagship SUV in key regions like the US, Russia and China. The German brand recently issued the first official pictures (right) of the showroom model, taken on the production line for the car in the States.

The seven-seater – which is said to have looks toned down from those of the controversial Concept X7 – will feature BMW’S latest generation of sixcylinder petrol and diesel motors, plus a turbocharged V8 petrol. However, BMW’S outgoing board member for sales and marketing, Ian Robertson, has revealed to Auto Express that the firm is still considering offering the new model with a four-cylinder petrol motor, as part of a plug-in hybrid set-up.

“We haven’t decided on a fourcylinder engine,” Robertson said, “but we haven’t ruled it out, either. Plug-in hybrid technology does offer you some new options where choice of engine is concerned.”

The new model will be offered as a sister vehicle to the 7 Series in the upper echelons of the BMW line-up, and it’ll carry a price tag to match, with range-topping versions costing around £150,000 and beyond. “We’ll be aiming the X7 right at the heart of the luxury sector,” Robertson added.