BMW patents 4 large electric SUVs

BMW has patented the names of four new vehicles it never mentioned before, specifically, iX6, iX7, iX8, and iX9. According to CarBuzz, there could be all-electric counterparts of existing ICE crossovers, the iX9 possibly serving as a flagship SUV to rival offerings of Rolls-Royce and other similar brands.

The publication believes the BMW iX7 will be the first to reach the market in mid-2027. One could imagine it as a seven-seater poised to replace the BMW X7 and rival the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV. The powertrain could be taken from the i7 sedan.

The BMW iX6 could come a year later as a coupe-like modification of the current BMW iX based on the same motors, but with a sportier image. In turn, the iX8 could share the platform with the iX7 and be marketed as a more driver-oriented version of the latter.

The XM hybrid revealed not long ago (see the gallery and the video) will probably remain unbeaten in terms of performance and serve as the sportiest Bavarian SUV on the market. In order to prevent the iX lineup models from cannibalizing each other’s sales, the automaker will most likely ship them with different powertrains.

The BMW iX9 will probably be the largest crossover SUV of all and therefore the flagship of the iX range. It would make sense for the company to emphasize luxury and comfort in this model as opposed to sheer sportiness. This would bring it closer to the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. The production car is expected to benefit from all the cutting-edge tech that will be available at its production start date. Of course, none of this is official yet and there are no production estimates.