BMW's 3 Row X7 Monster To Debut In September At The Frankfurt Auto Show

BMW couldn't have timed the X7 launch any worse. Not only is it years behind the Mercedes-Benz GLS, but Audi is also launching its own Q8 flagship SUV next year in 2018. Given its high price, the X7 won't sell in enough volume to turn around BMW's tumbling U.S. sales.

BMW's upcoming X3 and 3-series will be the only models that can turn its U.S. sales around. If BMW misses the mark with those two models, it could spell disaster. BMW executives must be feeling the pressure considering the new 7-Series and brand-new 5-Series have not been able to stabilize sales.

What are you talking about. First off, M/B has been in the full sized three seat SUV market for longer than a year. The A8 are you kidding? It's not a Large three seater, It is going to be an ultra-price X6 and GLE competitor, this a GLS, Escalde, and Yukon competitor. To quote Car and Driver " the BMW X7 is BMW license to print money".

If anyone should worry is Audi trying to sell a $130k X6. By the way BMW just announced a 13% increase in profit helped by China, How's Audi doing there.

If anything the X7 will kill the 7 Series' sales. I actually think the X7 has much greater potential for success than you think. The GLS is getting old and the Audi will be nothing special given how truly dull the new Audis have been.

I said "years" as in plural not "year" as in singular. I also said Q8, not A8 as in the luxury sedan.

Audi's doing quite well actually. 8.9% operating margin with the Level III autonomous and smart suspension technology in its upcoming A8 is quite impressive. You can thank synergies from the VAG for that result. Despite the drop in global sales, Audi's profit increased 11.7%

https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/press-releases/audi-group-posts-robust-financial-figures-after-challenging-first-half-of-2017-9160

"and the Audi will be nothing special given how truly dull the new Audis have been."

You really think Audi's new SUVs have been that dull? That's quite surprising considering the Q5 is up 11% YTD despite inventory shortages on the new model and 2016 was its second-best year ever even before the new 2018 model was for sale.

The Q7 is up 18% YTD and even the outdated Q3 (with its old infotainment) is up 6.7% YTD. I wouldn't call that sales growth dull.

Funny how this article about the BMW X7 and subsequent post has turned turned the spotlight on to Audi and how Audi is:

"doing quite well actually"
"quite impressive"
"profit increased"

and a direct link to Audi's media center that includes the phrase:
"audi group posts robust financial figures"

In my experience, being negative about a brand just because it's a rival to the brand you love or work for usually means you come across as incoherent and you might use language about that rival brand and its product that sounds like:

"couldn't have timed (the product) launch any worse"
"(product) is years behind"
"won't sell enough"
"tumbling sales"
"could spell disaster"
"(rival) must be feeling the pressure"
"(products) cannot stabalize sales"

@GermanNut

The Q7 isn't ugly but it sure is dull. There is no pulse at Audi. The A8 is a stunning embarrassment for Marc Lichte because it was to be his signature design for a new direction at Audi and it's indistinguishable from the old one. They are just cranking out one German Oldsmobile after another.

That said, I'm not implying that the X7 is going to revolutionize the market, but it will likely be a hit for BMW.

Forgive my errors I did not see years and I did mean Q8, but I stand by my argument, the Q8 is not an X7 competitor. In additional complaining about the X7 lag time when the Q8 is a decade behind the X6 is well laughable.

@Firewombat "...In my experience, being negative about a brand just because it's a rival to the brand you love or work for usually means you come across as incoherent..." Well said.

The problem with believing--as GermanNut does--that one brand is "far superior" is that with ANY manufacturer, their products are NOT created equal.

The S Class is so much better than the A8 that's it's not even a fair fight. However, the A3 is a lot better than the dreadful CLA.

Being beholden to one brand also makes good things from the rival "off limits" because to buy something from the rival would be to admit that a person is wrong.

I happen to PREFER Mustangs, but have nothing against Camaros. I'd love to own a ZL1 as well as a GT350 and I could, but the babymama would make me reduce my vehicular choices by 1 to make that happen.

scenicbyway12 - I think you read Nuttie's comment too fast. He stated that M-B has had the GLS for years. and it was the Q8 he mentioned not the A8.
The Q8 will attract a good number of customers looking for the latest and greatest tech. How many sales? Only time will tell.
As for being dull. Well they're still selling in decent numbers.

Really interested to see what this looks like in concept and production form, they need a more inspiring design than the 7-series and it needs to differentiate itself from the X5

Agreed. The market has been heavily anticipating the X7 so hopefully it looks proportionally aggressive inside & out.

Seeing how they updated the MINI Countryman recent, I can expect the new X3 to be a bit more slicker in execution as well.

If the front clip is just a larger and more profane version of the current design language as butchered by the 7-series, the X5, and the X6 (which I like to sum up as a water buffalo getting a very unexpected surprise from the rear) it will be a failure. As nice as it will be, only so many people will overlook ugly.

BMW's mistake, besides canceling the X7 in 2008, was aborting the 2007 CS Concept. The X7 and CS (9-Series) would have been a broadside to the mighty MB.