Prior to the global financial crisis of 2008, BMW was working on a full-size SUV to sit above its X5 and X6 models and compete against the likes of the Cadillac Escalade, Mercedes-Benz GL-Class and Land Rover Range Rover. The crisis caused BMW to rethink the strategy, with the German automaker choosing to focus on smaller SUVs and crossovers instead of the so-called X7.

Strong demand for big and brawny  luxury SUVs, especially in emerging markets, has led many automakers to enter the segment, some of which have never launched SUVs in the past. In the next couple of years we’ll be seeing new SUVs from Bentley, Lamborghini and Maserati. This, no doubt, must have left BMW regretting its decision, but the automaker may be about to alleviate the issue.

German publication Handelsblatt is reporting that the X7 is once again being looked at, but with production yet to be approved. The vehicle would ride on a new modular platform set to debut in the next-gen 7-Series and may even be built at BMW’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The German automaker is planning to make a major announcement concerning the plant next Friday, February 28.

Fellow BMW Group brand Rolls-Royce is considering a large SUV of its own, its CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös confirmed last year. Should it be approved for production, the vehicle’s underpinnings will likely be shared with an X7 from BMW, just as the current Rolls-Royce Ghost shares its underpinnings with BMW’s 7-Series.

The Rolls-Royce would likely utilize a 12-cylinder engine, and possibly a plug-in hybrid setup, while the BMW would feature six- and eight-cylinder units, also with a plug-in option.

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