When BMW introduced the 7 Series G70 back in April 2022, there was one glaring omission from the engine lineup in Europe – the V8. Fast forward to August 2023, you still can’t have Bavaria’s flagship with eight cylinders on the Old Continent and it seems highly unlikely it will ever return. However, North Americans have it good because the 760i is available in the United States.
Sources close to BMW have told us it’s going to be pretty much the same story with the next-generation X5, X6, and X7. We did a bit of digging after well-known insider “ynguldyn” from the Bimmer Post forums wrote about how the three luxury SUVs might drop V8 power later this decade. Based on our intel, that’s only half true as the M60i models will stick around for another generation in the M Performance version of the luxobarge trio sold in the US of A.
Why is BMW choosing to retire the V8 from the next X5, X6, and X7 in Europe? Logic tells us it has to do with increasingly stricter emissions regulations. With the Euro 7 standard expected to come into effect in 2025, it’s going to be even harder for automakers to launch cars with large-displacement engines that comply with the tougher standards. The mighty V12 inside the 760i was discontinued for the very same reason as the new legislation is forcing car manufacturers to downsize and/or electrify through hybrids or pure EVs.
The next X5 (G65) is rumored to enter production at the end of 2026, with the X7 (G67) to follow in mid-2027 and the X6 (G66) in the second half of 2028. There’s likely still going to be an M Performance version for all three in Europe, possibly a plug-in hybrid based around an inline-six. These won’t be the first models to drop the V8 as the new 5 Series doesn’t have it either since the M550i is no more. However, the M5 plug-in hybrid coming in 2024 in both sedan and wagon body styles will have eight cylinders.
Source: Bimmer Post
