Article Summary
- The G63 is expected to launch in 2029-2030 with mostly six-cylinder and V8 petrol engines, plus a possible diesel for Europe.
- Its third row should be roomier than the upcoming G67 X7's, and it will likely cost tens of thousands of dollars more.
- BMW could also plan to build SAVs in more regions because Spartanburg, its "home of X," is at full capacity.
BMW is officially looking at a new SAV that would sit above the X7. In a press release issued today, the BMW Group said it is examining another model above its current flagship, one cut specifically to the needs of US buyers. BMWBLOG has learned that the American market is the main driver behind the decision, and that the project carries the rumored internal codename G63. The final name for the car has not been decided, but the BMW X9 moniker is being mentioned as the marketing name.
The news came packaged with a production problem most automakers would love to have. According to BMW’s strategy update, demand for its premium SAVs is so strong that Plant Spartanburg, the “home of X,” is currently running at full capacity. CEO Milan Nedeljković’s answer is regionalization: building more of BMW’s X models in more places around the world, so each sales region gets its cars more directly.
What Did BMW Actually Say About A Model Above The X7?
BMW’s wording is careful. The company says it is examining an additional model above the X7 with the US in mind, not that one is approved for production. Still, a CEO doesn’t usually put a hypothetical flagship in front of investors unless the business case already looks good on paper.
None of this comes as a surprise to regular readers, since we’ve been hinting for months that BMW was considering something bigger than the X7. In January, we reported that BMW dealers were asking for a bigger SUV. In March, BMW brand boss Bernd Körber said the company could build something for the segment, estimating that demand is concentrated overwhelmingly in the United States and the Middle East, and calling it a challenge to make such a car global enough. Last month, we laid out the case for an X9 bigger than the X7. Today is the first time the BMW Group has put the idea in writing.
Why Is Spartanburg Running Out Of Room For New Models?
Spartanburg builds the X5, X6, X7, and XM, the most profitable corner of BMW’s SUV lineup, and the next-generation G67 X7 due in 2027 will add to its workload. Squeezing an even larger SAV into a plant that is already at its limit is a tough ask.
That is where regionalization comes in. BMW didn’t say which plants would take on more SAV production or which models would move. The two announcements did arrive in the same breath, though. A US-focused flagship would most logically be built in the US, and building more X models elsewhere for other markets would free up room for it in South Carolina. That part is our reading, not something BMW has confirmed.
What We Know About The G63 Project So Far
Here’s what we’re hearing, and also things we’re expecting to see without being confirmed, with the caveat that the program is early and plenty can change before launch:
- Codename: G63, according to our information.
- Timing: a launch in the 2029-2030 timeframe, two to three years into the life of the G67 X7.
- Engines: mostly six-cylinder petrol and V8 petrol models, with a diesel possible for Europe.
- Packaging: a third row with more space than in the upcoming G67 X7.
- Price: likely tens of thousands of dollars above the X7.
The possible diesel is the most telling detail on that list. Nobody in the US is waiting for a diesel flagship BMW SUV, so it only makes sense if BMW plans to sell the G63 beyond America. That would address Körber’s concern from March: a car designed around US tastes, with enough global reach to justify the investment.
We don’t expect a fully electric version at launch, and nothing we’ve heard points to one. Cadillac moved only about 2,000 Escalade IQs in the first quarter, down 26.8 percent year over year, while buyers in this segment keep choosing eight cylinders.
How Would It Compare To The Escalade And Navigator?
The target is obvious. The current X7 measures 203.6 inches (5,181 mm) long, which feels enormous in Europe but is mid-pack in the American full-size luxury segment. The standard Cadillac Escalade stretches to 211.9 inches, the Escalade ESV to 226.9 inches, and a long-wheelbase Range Rover is about 207 inches long. Cadillac sold 57,000 Escalades last year, and Lincoln found homes for nearly 25,000 Navigators. BMW has nothing that competes with them on space, especially in the third row.
We don’t have dimensions for the G63. A usable third row with real luggage room behind it is the whole point, and that’s exactly where the X7 has always fallen short of the Escalade.
Will BMW Call Its New Flagship SAV The X9?
BMW hasn’t mentioned a name. X9 is the obvious choice, and it’s the one we argued for last month. It follows BMW’s own logic (higher number, bigger car, bigger price) and needs no explanation in a showroom.
The timing works, too. BMW’s G74 Rugged SUV, meant to take on the G-Class and Range Rover, reportedly won’t happen. If that holds, the engineering resources set aside for a niche off-roader could go to a flagship that’s far easier to sell in BMW’s most important SUV market. A G63 arriving around 2029-2030 would give the G67 X7 a bigger sibling near its mid-cycle point, and it would finally hand BMW dealers the Escalade fighter they’ve been asking for since January.
