Photo: Behance | Noah Loemba
Well, the logical answer would be no. Unless they somehow planned an X0.5. However, as it turns out, the answer is actually yes. You see, the X7 was deemed too small by the company’s US dealers, who want an even larger SUV. This model would obviously sit at the very top of the automaker’s portfolio, and would battle it out with the likes of the Cadillac Escalade and the Lincoln Navigator.
The latest Escalade measures up to 227 inches (5,766 mm) in length, and has a 134.1-inch (3,406 mm) long wheelbase in the ESV configuration. The fifth-gen Navigator measures up to 221.9 inches (5,636 mm) from bumper to bumper, and has 131.5 inches (3,340 mm) between the axles. As for the X7, it is 204 inches (5,181 mm) long, and has a wheelbase length of 122.2 inches (3,105 mm). Therefore, there is indeed room in BMW’s portfolio for an even larger crossover.
BMW’s dealers are now forcing the company to do something about it, reports indicate, and while technically the X7 does indeed qualify as a full-size SUV, it is obviously smaller than the Cadillac Escalade and the Lincoln Navigator. This is hardly official confirmation that such a thing is indeed coming, though it is plenty for the rendering crowd to go wild, which is why we have seen quite a few CGI takes on a hypothetical BMW X9 so far.
Photo: Behance | Noah Loemba
Our latest encounter with such a thing came from Noah Loemba on Behance, and you can see the project in the photo gallery above. This thing does not exactly look like an enlarged X7. In fact, it features a different front fascia with traditional headlights that are on the very slim side of things, yet they still manage to incorporate the daytime running lights. The bumper is also new, whereas the kidney grille is quite similar to that of the X7.
Further back, we can see a very clean design, not only for the front fenders, doors, and rear three-quarter panels, but also for the side glass, which almost looks like a canopy from certain angles. The taillights do not have anything to do with those of the X7, and the same goes for the tailgate, which features a split-opening design, and the rear bumper and diffuser. The wheels are on the large side of things, and they sport a familiar pattern.
The pixel artist has gone the extra mile by also imagining the interior of this rendered BMW X9. And it looks pretty much the same as that of the X7. It has the same dashboard panel, and dual-screen setup, though there are a few differences, like the center console, new two-spoke steering wheel, buttons, knobs, and so on.
Mind you, if BMW will really give the X9 the green light for production, then its interior will be Neue Klasse. This means the Panoramic iDrive display from one pillar to the other at the bottom of the windshield, as well as the same infotainment system as the one seen on the new X5, among other models. Sure, it could spice things up with a few dedicated features, including perhaps upholstery and trim, but it likely won’t evade the Neue Klasse trend.
Photo: Behance | Noah Loemba
After all, this is the recipe behind the upcoming BMW X7, because the current flagship SUV is being replaced by an entirely new generation. And quite strangely (and fortunately, for that matter), it won’t go down the Neue Klasse route when it comes to the exterior design. This means that it will feature a front fascia that looks like an evolution of the current one, and that’s great news to our ears.
The back end should feature significantly larger taillights, and there will probably no longer be a split-opening tailgate. After all, the new X5 has lost this party trick, and we wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the future X7 will do that too. Thus, chances are that the first-ever X9 might look like an enlarged next-gen X7 on the outside, save for a few bits and bobs, and could get a very familiar-looking cockpit layout.
Word on the street is that the BMW X9 might launch in 2029 or maybe 2030, and an Alpina version could be part of the lineup to fight the Lincoln Navigator Black Label. But could there also be an X8 in BMW’s future portfolio? It’s a little too early to speak about that, but if we were to guess, we’d say that it could.
Now, before moving on to the next topic, what do you feel about an X9? And do you like the one signed by the quoted rendering artist?
