• News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
  • News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
Sign up Now (For Free)

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the latest automotive news in your inbox!

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!
News
Read Now
  • All News
  • Automakers
  • Automobiles
  • Auto Shows
  • Business
  • EVs & Environment
  • Guides
  • Lawsuits/Legal
  • Regulatory
  • Ride-Sharing
  • Safety & Recalls
  • Technology
Recent
  • Used Car Wholesale Prices Decline; Retail Prices Don't
  • Pandemic Accelerated Auto Dealers’ Shift to Digital-Oriented Sales Process
  • Detroit Auto Show Back Again in September
  • First Look: All-Electric Volvo EX30
  • Stellantis’ Burst of Leadership Changes
  • Mazda Turbocharges its Carbon Roster
  • Ford Recalls 125K Vehicles Due to Fire-Causing Engine Failures
  • Honda “At the Crossroads” as it Races to Catch Up with EV Leaders
  • Cyclists, You’re Less Likely to Get Hit by a Subaru
  • Chevrolet Celebrates Camaro with Collector’s Edition
Editor’s Choice
    Reviews
    Read Now
    • All Reviews
      • Feeder
    • Classic Cars
    • Concept Cars
    • Convertibles
    • Coupes
    • Crossovers/CUVs
    • Diesel
    • Hot hatches
    • Hybrids
    • Luxury Vehicles
    • Minivans
    • Muscle Cars
    • Pickups
    • Sedans
    • Sports Cars
    • Super Cars
    • SUVs
    Recent Reviews
    • A Week With: 2024 GMC Sierra 2500 Denali Ultimate
    • A Week With: 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI 2.0 SE
    • A Week With: 2023 Kia Niro SX Touring
    • A Week With: 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Estrema Q4
    • A Week With: 2023 Lexus NX 350h Luxury
    • A Week With: 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL R-Line
    • First Drive: 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander
    • A Week With: 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium RWD
    • A Week With: 2023 Electrified GV70 AWD Prestige
    • A Week With: 2023 BMW XM
    Editor’s Choice
      Guides
      Car Warranty
      • Endurance Warranty Reviews
      • BMW Extended Warranty
      • Extended Warranty For Cars Over 100k Miles
      • Extended Car Warranty Cost
      • Subaru Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Reviews
      • CarShield Cost
      • Aftermarket Car Warranty
      • CARCHEX Warranty Reviews
      • Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
      • Used Car Warranty Companies
      • Best Car Warranty
      • Is CarShield A Scam?
      • Mercedes Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Plans
      Insurance
      • How To Identify A Car Insurance Company
      • Geico Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • How Far Back Does A Car Insurance Company Look
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance For Used Cars
      • State Farm Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance From Progressive
      • Dollar A Day Insurance
      • Auto Insurance For SSI Recipients
      • Car Insurance Rates After A Suspended License
      • Auto Insurance For Salvage Vehicles
      • Average Cost of Dodge Ram 1500 Car Insurance
      • Car Insurance Florida
      • Full Coverage Auto Insurance
      • GrubHub Insurance
      • Amazon Delivery Auto Insurance
      Shipping
      • Car Shipping Companies
      • uShip Reviews
      • Auto Shipping From California To Hawaii
      • Montway Auto Transport Reviews
      • Cheap Car Shipping
      • Easy Auto Ship Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Miami
      • Auto Shipping To Alaska
      • Car Shipping Cost
      • Auto Shipping Hawaii
      • Auto Shipping Puerto Rico
      • Sherpa Auto Transport Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Atlanta
      • Auto Shipping Boston
      • Auto Shipping. Chicago
      About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
      • Sitemap
      TheDetroitBureau.com

      More than just “another” place to find news, reviews, spy shots, commentary, features, and guides about the auto industry. TheDetroitBureau doesn’t stop with the press releases or confuse a few lines of opinion with insightful, in-depth reporting.

      Contact Us

      Like what you see? Have some ideas for making The Detroit Bureau.com even better? Let us know, we’d love to hear your voice.

        Media
        Listen Now
        • Headlight News: All Episodes
        More from TheDetroitBureau
        • Guides
        • Latest News
        • Auto Reviews
        • Podcasts
        Headlight News

        TheDetroitBureau.com’s Headlight News offers a look at the past week’s top automotive news stories, as well as what’s coming up in the week ahead. Check out the week’s top story and our latest review…along with a dive into the past with this week in automotive history.

        home > reviews > BMW Looking to Go Beyond the X5 (and 6 and 7)

        BMW Looking to Go Beyond the X5 (and 6 and 7)

        The future may include some truly radical approaches.

        Paul A. Eisenstein
        Paul A. Eisenstein , Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
        Sept. 14, 2018
        The latest version of the BMW iNext Concept adopts a more SAV-like body design.

        Even as the newest version of the X5 gets ready to roll into showrooms around the world, BMW is looking at ways to expand its presence in the fast-growing market for sport-utility vehicles.

        The automaker took what seemed like a big risk when it launched the original X5 “Sports-Activity Vehicle” in 1999, but dmand for high-line utes has grown exponentially, leading it to move down-market, all the way to the base X1, with a new flagship, the X7, set to debut next year.

        Plug In!

        “We see even more demand from our customers,” said Carson Gruber, the BMW AG marketing executive overseeing high-line products like the X5 and X7, during an interview with TheDetroitBureau.com. “BMW is a learning company….and we’re capable of identifying new trends.”

        (BMW unleashing high-performance version of X2. Click Here to check out the M35i.)

        The first three generations of the BMW X5 sold a collective 2.1 million vehicles, and the Bavarian automaker is hoping to generate even strong demand with the debut of the fourth-generation model, known internally by the codename G05. It is more than just a warm-over, adopting an entirely new platform, dubbed the Cluster Architecture, or CLAR, which will be shared with a variety of other BMW products, including the all-new X7.

        This plug-in hybrid version of the new X5 will be added to the line-up next year.

        The bigger, three-row SAV will fill a critical gap in the BMW line-up, said Gruber, helping it tackle such competitors as the Cadillac Escalade, Land Rover Range Rover, Lincoln Navigator and Mercedes-Benz GLS.

        It also will serve as what will now be three distinct flagships for the BMW brand, including the classic 7-Series sedan and the reborn 8-Series.

        One of the big questions is whether the X7 will cannibalize demand for the X5, but Gruber said he doesn’t expect that to be a major concern. The new model should draw from a different niche of buyers, many of whom might have left BMW anyway for the larger utility vehicles offered by competitors. And the X5 has traditionally drawn a steady influx of buyers from both outside BMW and from brand loyalists looking to move out of a sedan and into a ute.

        That shift can be seen across the industry, and especially in the luxury market. Even high-line marques like Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Maserati and Lamborghini now offer SUVs, with Aston Martin and Ferrari set to follow.

        The 2018 BMW Concept X7 iPerformance, also a plug-in hybrid, will soon be followed by a production version.

        (Hey, BMW! Bavarian maker introduces new AI-enabled in-car assistant. Click Here for the story.)

        Some of the biggest growth is taking place at the lower end of the market however, where BMW now offers models such as the pint-sized X1 and X2, as well as compact offerings such as the X3. The Bavarian brand has also pushed the edge of utility vehicle design with coupe-like models such as the X4 and X6.

        That raises the question of whether there are still other opportunities, considering BMW has used every number from 1 to 7 for its SAV family.

        The challenge, said Gruber, is that “We (don’t) want to just come up with another SUV, but one that’s a real BMW.” But he quickly added that he sees “an opportunity for luxury brands like BMW to expand their range of appeal.”

        (Click Here to check out the new BMW Z4.)One of the ways BMW plans to expand its appeal is to go green. The new X5 will debut with a global mix of two gas and two diesel powertrains. It will later add a higher-performance M version and, sometime next year, a first-ever plug-in hybrid will follow. BMW officials have said that, going forward, they will offer electrified options for virtually all of their product lines.

        n even more radical approach is in development. One of the first examples will be the BMW iNext, which is expected to be an edgy blend of a crossover and conventional BMW sedan using an all-electric drivetrain. It’s planned for a debut around 2021.

        With utility vehicles continuing to cut into the conventional luxury car market, and with electrified drive technology expected to gain significant momentum in the coming decade, vehicles like the iNext could help BMW find even more ways to flesh out its SAV line-up.

        How to Care for Your Car

        Cheap Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice

        Best Extended Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice
        Recently Published
        2023 Kia Niro SX Touring best front

        A Week With: 2023 Kia Niro SX Touring

        June 05, 2023
        2023 Lexus NX 350h front driving best REL

        A Week With: 2023 Lexus NX 350h Luxury

        June 01, 2023
        2022 VW Tiguan SEL R-Line white driving REL

        A Week With: 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL R-Line

        May 31, 2023

        Leave a Reply Cancel reply

        Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

        What Are You Looking For?

        See More
        Buying an SUV or Crossover? See our recommended reviews and guides.
        Buying an SUV or Crossover? See our recommended reviews and guides.
        Reviews and Resources For Car Buyers and Owners
        Reviews of SUVs and CUVs, Warranty and Insurance advice, all collected by the Editors of TheDetroitBureau.
        Collection
        SUV Reviews and Guides
        Collection

        SUV Reviews and Guides
        Recommends
        Where Can You Get the Best SUV Warranty?
        Recommends

        Where Can You Get the Best SUV Warranty?
        Recommends
        Is Full Coverage Auto Insurance Right for You?
        Recommends

        Is Full Coverage Auto Insurance Right for You?
        Recommends
        Is it Cheaper to Add a Second Car to Insurance?
        Recommends

        Is it Cheaper to Add a Second Car to Insurance?
        Close
        Reviews and Resources For Car Buyers and Owners
        Reviews of SUVs and CUVs, Warranty and Insurance advice, all collected by the Editors of TheDetroitBureau.
        Collection
        SUV Reviews and Guides
        Collection

        SUV Reviews and Guides
        Recommends
        Where Can You Get the Best SUV Warranty?
        Recommends

        Where Can You Get the Best SUV Warranty?
        Recommends
        Is Full Coverage Auto Insurance Right for You?
        Recommends

        Is Full Coverage Auto Insurance Right for You?
        Recommends
        Is it Cheaper to Add a Second Car to Insurance?
        Recommends

        Is it Cheaper to Add a Second Car to Insurance?
        Close
        Share this article:
        © The Detroit Bureau 2023
        • Guides
        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms of Use
        • Affiliate Disclosure
        • Contact Us
        • Sitemap
        Follow Us: