Some more details have emerged about the forthcoming BMW X7! According to the reports, the BMW X7 crossover is very likely to be introduced in late 2017 or early 2018 and the model will be underpinned by a new platform that, in all probability, will be shared with the next generation 7 Series and 5 Series saloons. As the forthcoming model is being developed to fend off the heat from mighty Mercedes Benz GL-Class, it will offer comfortable seating for up to seven passengers and boast of a three row seating layout. The X7 crossover is likely to be developed keeping in mind the American market, where as much as 50,000 units of the crossover will be produced yearly.
While nothing concrete is currently known, it’s highly expected that the Bavarian automaker will be announcing its plans for the X7 crossover at their Spartanburg facility on 28th March, 2014. Along with this, the company is also expected to announce its plans to increase production of this plant to 400,000 units annually and the vehicle would be marketed mainly in US. It would be the 5th consecutive model to be made at the factory. The X5, X6 and X3 are produced in Spartanburg for worldwide sales, and the X4 is coming this year. The facility is BMW’s only production site for these crossovers. Spartanburg, the automaker’s first and only plant in North America, has produced about 2.5 million vehicles since 1994. BMW has invested $6.3 billion at the site since 1992, when construction began.
To build the BMW X7, the company will add about 50,000 units of production and will not disclose details until Friday’s news conference in Spartanburg, which will be hosted by Reithofer.
Flexible Production
Spartanburg is one of the company’s most flexible plants, using a 2-line assembly system, which enables quick adjustment to market demands and allows the plant to totally build to order. In 2013, it exported 71% of its annual production, 201,760 of a total build of 297,326 crossovers. Joe Langley, an analyst specializing in automotive production at IHS Automotive in suburban Detroit said there is nothing else in North America that does anything like that. The next closest would be Mercedes Benz in Alabama, and they are on the lower side. Reithofer said during a conference call with analysts last week that BMW is the biggest exporter from a NAFTA country: The United States will stay a market with great potential for us. Friedrich Eichiner, CFO at BMW said during the call that Spartanburg is “a decisive factor in the success of the BMW Group,” because it is “situated in the largest premium market of the world.”
