BMW targets Defender with hardcore seven-seat off-road SUV

BMW launched an off-road-focused special X5 to celebrate the model's 25th anniversary New flagship will be built in the US from 2029 as BMW looks to expand into new segments BMW is readying a new flagship hardcore off-roader to rival the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and Land Rover Defender. Set to be produced alongside the X5, X6 and X7 at BMW’s Spartanburg plant in the US from 2029, the new seven-seater will be the company's first model conceived for serious off-roading since 1937. Unlike the off-road-package X5 currently on sale in the UK, the new model – codenamed G74 – has been conceived as part of a push to tap into the luxury off-road market that is dominated by the Defender and G-Class. A senior BMW manager told Autocar that development work for the upcoming G-Class rival was well under way: “We’re aware of the market potential [of such a vehicle]. It’s more than just discussions. We have been planning this for a while. It will definitely need an internal combustion engine.” While hints at the design of the new model are yet to emerge, the G74 is expected to combine elements of the company's new Neue Klasse lineage with traditionally rugged design cues. Expect greater ground clearance, longer-travel suspension and approach, departure and breakover angles that better any current BMW model. It has been conceived to offer seating for up to seven in three rows, within a luxurious cabin featuring a higher level of material quality and equipment than today’s range-topping SUVs, Autocar has been told. It will be sold in all of BMW’s existing global markets and could wear the X9 moniker that was previously mooted for a coupé-style variant of the X7. Details of the mechanical package remain under wraps, although it's expected to sit on a heavily modified version of BMW’s CLAR platform. This would provide economies of scale with other large SUV models while allowing the extensive chassis changes required for serious off-road work. The chassis is expected to borrow elements from the X5 and X7, with long-travel air suspension, up to three locking differentials, advanced four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering for agility in confined terrain and stability at higher speeds. While BMW has planned from the outset to power its new off-roader with an internal combustion engine, officials aren't ruling out an electric version. This would pitch the G74 against a new wave of electrified off-roaders from China, such as BYD's Yangwang U8 and GWM's Tank 700, as well as the Rivian R1S and upcoming Scout Traveler from the US. The same senior source also revealed BMW is “closely looking at the introduction of a range-extender drivetrain”, linking back to similar developments in the pipeline for the X5, X6 and X7. That opens the door for the G74 to adopt an advanced hybrid configuration, using an internal combustion engine purely as a generator to feed power to individual electric motors. BMW has also been working with German automotive engineering giant ZF on the development of range-extender drivetrains. BMW’s focus on the range-extender drivetrain for the G74 comes after disappointing early sales of the electric G-Class and amid surging demand for range-extender models in China – the world’s largest EV market. Another option under study is the use of compact electric hub motors developed with Munich-based DeepDrive. The in-wheel packaging, low weight and compact size could allow extreme off-road manoeuvrability. BMW’s last truly dedicated off-roader was the 325, built in Germany between 1937 and 1940 for the German army. Based on a ladder-frame chassis with four-wheel drive, it used a 2.0-litre straight-six petrol engine with dry-sump lubrication to produce 50bhp, paired with a five-speed gearbox, three locking differentials and, in early versions, four-wheel steering to cut the turning circle to just 6.5m. Only 3225 examples were produced, but it remains a technical landmark for BMW.

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