BMW has recently announced plans to invest $1 billion into their Spartanburg plant in South Carolina to increase annual production to 450,000 units by the end of 2016.
The additional investment will be used to increase capacity, which is necessary to meet strong global demand for X models. "[The] Spartanburg plant was built to enhance and expand the BMW lineup, underscoring the BMW Group commitment to the United States" said Dr. Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management, BMW Group. "In addition to the X3, X5, X6 and the new X4, we are today announcing another all-new, larger X model to be manufactured exclusively at this plant for our world markets: the X7."
Little else is known about the X7, but the seven seat crossover, which will be launched in 2017 or 2018, is expected to ride on the same platform that underpins the next-generation 5- and 7-Series.
Besides announcing the X7, the German carmaker also confirmed plans to produce a plug-in hybrid version of the X5 at the plant in the "near future." It will likely feature a TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder petrol engine, an electric motor and an xDrive all-wheel drive system.
