BMW is readying a new flagship, hardcore off-road SUV to rival the likes of the Land Rover Defender and Mercedes G-Wagon. Internally codenamed the G74, it will be a new 7-seater that will be sold alongside the existing X7 but with a clear focus on off-roading. It will be produced at BMW’s Spartanburg plant in the US and is expected to see the light of day sometime in 2029.

1. New BMW off-road SUV to have an internal combustion engine
2. Likely to use the brand’s Neue Klasse design philosophies
3. Will have three rows, with seating for up to seven people

New BMW offroad SUV: What to expect?

Speaking to our sister publication Autocar UK, a senior BMW manager said it has been specifically developed to tap into the luxury off-road segment, which is currently dominated by the G-Class and Defender. “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,” he said.

Details are still quite scarce, but it is expected to use BMW’s Neue Klasse design language combined with traditional rugged aesthetics. Expect greater ground clearance, longer-travel suspension, and approach, departure and breakover angles that are better than any of BMW’s current SUVs.

It will offer seating for up to seven people in a luxurious 3-row cabin, with higher levels of material quality and equipment than what is currently seen in this segment, Autocar UK was told. And while unconfirmed, it could revive the X8 moniker, which was previously mooted for a coupe-style variant of the X7. That model, however, never materialised. 

New BMW offroad SUV to get IC engine; EV is a possibility

The upcoming G74 off-road SUV is expected to be underpinned by a heavily modified version of BMW’s CLAR platform. As with the brand’s current line-up, this architecture is compatible with both combustion and electric powertrains. It is understood to come powered by an internal-combustion engine initially, but an electric variant certainly cannot be ruled out; even a new range-extender powertrain is believed to be on the cards, not just for the G74, but even for other SUVs such as the X5 and X7.

The chassis is expected to borrow elements from the X5 and X7, with long-travel air suspension, up to three locking differentials, and advanced 4-wheel drive and 4-wheel steering for agility in confined terrain and stability at higher speeds.

BMW’s last truly dedicated off-roader was the 325, built in Germany between 1937 and 1940 for the German army. So this will be the brand’s first dedicated off-roader in nearly a century.