BMW X7 seven-seater test mule spied

A test mule version of what appears to be the new BMW X7 has been seen for the first time in spy shots

    BMW confirmed to us in March they were planning on making an X7- a flagship seven-seat off-roader to rival the Mercedes GL. These are the first spyshots of the test mule. Set to be launched towards the end of the decade, around 2018, the new car should cost from around £65,000. 

    The spyshots, taken yesterday, appear to show that the BMW flagship will be based on the 2016 7 Series luxury saloon. The development mule looks to be using a variety of weights bolted on to the body on the bonnet and roof to simulate the added mass the SUV X7 would bring.

    This allows engineers to begin performance and dynamics testing for the car even before the body is built. It might look odd, but Maserati has been seen to adopt a similar technique with their 2016 Levante SUV.

    Although there aren't many larger SUVs than BMW's current X5 in the UK and Europe, in America truly huge 7-seat SUVs are still a very popular sector, with models such as the Cadillac Escalade remaining popular. The new X7 is predicted to be built in the US and we expect China and the Middle-East to be BMW's priority markets.

    Engines will also buck Europe's trend for downsizing, with a range of six-cylinder, V8 and V12 engines confirmed. But there is expected to be a development of the eDrive plug-in hybrid system which will appear in the X5.

    When it arrives in 2018, the X7 will most likely share some parts with the Rolls-Royce SUV, which was confirmed as being worked on earlier this month. 

    Do you think an even bigger and pricier version of the BMW X5 is necessary in the UK? Let us know in the comments below.