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2022 BMW X8 – What We Know So Far About Munich's High-Riding Flagship

BMW is slowly heading toward an entirely unexpected future with its model lineup, or at least from the point of view of people who have been following the carmaker’s exploits until the last decade or so.
2022 BMW X8 19 photos
Photo: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
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The Bavarians have been extending their once traditional lineup both vertically and horizontally, with its compact, mid-size and full-size models getting all kinds of baby brothers and sisters.

The entire BMW crossover and SUV lineup now spans from the X1 and its sportier X2 brother to the mighty X7, which is also about to receive a sibling, but not in the way most people were expecting.

You see, while the X2, X4, and X6 are the more fashionable and slightly sportier versions of their odd-numbered brothers, the X7 has been an only child for the first two years of its existence.

That will change sometime in 2021-early 2022, when the BMW X7 is set to receive a mid-cycle refresh, also called an LCI (Life Cycle Impulse) in BMW speak. The seven-seater SUV’s facelift will coincide with the introduction of the first-ever X8, a true flagship that will sit at the top of the entire BMW crossover and SUV lineup.

The possibility of its existence had been debated even before the X7 was launched, but now we have a ton of spy photos giving us some details about the 2022 BMW X8.

2022 BMW X8
Photo: S.Baldauf/SB-Medien
Internally codenamed G09, the all-new X8 will have its own identity despite featuring a similar front-end look with the X7, which will also go through a rather extensive redesign following the mid-cycle refresh.

Essentially introducing a new design language for future BMW crossovers and SUVs, the X8 will moot an unconventional front end that may also trickle down on the next-generation 7 Series and its all-electric version as well.

As you can tell from the spy photos available, the front fascia features a kidney grille that’s been enlarged horizontally, while those sad-looking placeholder headlights seem to be positioned a lot lower than on any other current BMW.

Unlike the straight-edged, almost monolithic appearance of the X7, the BMW X8 will have a roof that tapers down toward the rear, although not as abruptly as on the X6 and X4, but more like the somewhat ill-fated X2.

2022 BMW X8
Photo: S.Baldauf/SB-Medien
The rear end will be equally controversial, with the taillights expanding outside the contour of the car, but any exterior design motifs will pale when compared to how tricked out its interior will be.

Firstly, it’s likely that the standard version will be a four-seater, with two individual seats in the rear instead of a bench-like seating arrangement. Reducing the number of passengers increases their available space and comfort, although a five-seater version will also be available.

Secondly, a lot of the interior features introduced by the... interesting-looking iX electric crossover will also trickle up to the X8, meaning that the coupe-like SUV will have a rather high-tech ambiance for its passengers.

On the powertrains front, you can expect the usual suspects found on the current X7 but some new ones as well. The base 3.0-liter inline-six with mild-hybrid technology will be joined by the 4.4-liter V8 with two power outputs, one for the X8 50i and one for the X8 M50i.

2022 BMW X8
Photo: S.Baldauf/SB-Medien
A plug-in hybrid version called the X8 45e is also expected, which should be powered by a 3.0-liter inline-six and an electric motor.

The X8 M, despite not having any direct rivals when it launches, is expected to set the standard in its segment with a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 helped by at least one electric motor go achieve at least 750 horsepower.

It hasn’t been decided yet if a selection of inline-six turbodiesels with various outputs will be available on the European market or not, with BMW concentrating more on plug-in hybrids and all-electric models in the near future. Either way, you can bet that the 2022 BMW X8 will be a special model in any iteration it comes.
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About the author: Alex Oagana
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Alex handled his first real steering wheel at the age of five (on a field) and started practicing "Scandinavian Flicks" at 14 (on non-public gravel roads). Following his time at the University of Journalism, he landed his first real job at the local franchise of Top Gear magazine a few years before Mircea (Panait). Not long after, Alex entered the New Media realm with the autoevolution.com project.
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