With seven SUVs already in BMW’s line-up, you’d think all the possible bases would be covered in this segment.
However, the firm is now preparing a new X8 to sit at the top of its range, and is set to offer a more coupe-like version of the current flagship X7. Despite its lower roofline, it’s likely to still be available with seven seats, though with less room on offer than in the spacious X7, which can easily accommodate seven adults in comfort.
And now, according to Autocar, the firm is also planning for a powerful ‘M’ model to sit at the top of the range. It could be the first plug-in hybrid BMW M car, with the magazine claiming that the German manufacturer is planning to combine the existing 4.4-litre V8 engine with an electric motor and battery pack to create up to 750bhp.
It would likely rival the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid, and would become the most powerful BMW ever produced – the punchiest BMWs to date produce 616bhp, in models like the M5 Competition and X6 M Competition.
Spy shots of the upcoming X8 also show that it might adopt a smaller grille than that of the X7 and an overall sleeker design, though it remains heavily camouflaged in all images so far.
The BMW X8 is set to arrive in 2022, with the hot M model rumoured to be arriving a year later.
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