The BMW X7 Could Be Offered With an M Badge

TopSpeed

By Kirby Garlitos

Published Aug 20, 2018

No final decision yet, but it is expected to happen sooner than later

BMW’s range-topping SUV, the X7, could be offered in X7 M form in the future. There have been no decisions made on that front by BMW, but a report from BMW Blog claims that Bimmer execs are considering such a model. A decision is expected to be made in the coming weeks, which would essentially put a rumor that’s been circling the waters since 2016 to bed.

The performance alter-ego of the BMW X7 has been a hot topic within BMW for a while now. There’s still no clear-cut answer on what direction BMW plans to make, but the evolution of the SUV segment, specifically the super-luxury SUV class, could point the way for the X7 M to finally get the green light.

It’s not like it hasn’t been discussed before, either. Back in October 2016, there were reports that the X7 M was already in discussion. It’s unclear what was talked about back then, but news on that front died down quickly, a sign that there was no consensus between the right decision-makers on the subject.

But 2016 was a long time ago. Since then, companies like Lamborghini, Bentley, and Rolls-Royce have come out with their own super-luxury SUVs. That’s not to say that the X7 M would be a direct competitor, but if anything, the Urus and Bentley — and the Cullinan, soon enough — proved that there’s a market for these types of SUVs.

If the BMW X7 M does get greenlit, it should, in theory, sit higher than the X5 M and X6 M in BMW’s performance SUV hierarchy. That would entail the X7 M having well over 600 horsepower -- Urus territory, in other words -- at its disposal given that both current versions of the X5 M have 567 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque on tap. Throw in the gobs of luxury amenities that are typical of BMW models affixed with a “7” on their names, and it’s easy to see why an X7 M is more likely to get the nod from BMW compared to two years ago.

Customer interest is unlikely to be an issue. The current topography of the market has opened the super-luxury SUV segment to a lot of interested buyers. A BMW X7 M would certainly be a welcome addition on that map, provided that BMW develops it properly. The model’s going to have its detractors from people who are starting to wonder where the business draws the line with all these SUVs, but for the most part, an X7 M makes sense if only for the simple reason that BMW is more than likely to sell a lot of it once it comes out.

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