宝马年度大会本周开幕，会上除了发布了新款VisionVehicle概念车图片外，公司CEO克鲁格还宣布，下一代X5将很快发布。虽然他没有透露具体日期，但透露，该车将于今年晚些时候发布。现行版X5的生命周期只有四年，而宝马决定跳过中期改款车型(LifeCycleImpulse）直接发布下一代车型，以便能快速转换至CLAR平台。除了新一代X5，X7也将于今年晚些时候在美国南卡罗来州斯帕腾伯格工厂投产。克鲁格还透露，8系家族将有六款车型，其中包括M8GranCoupe，该车将采用新的设计语言，而在今年日内瓦车展亮相的概念车就应用了这一设计语言。未来8系轿跑车、敞篷车和Gran Coupe都将有M版本。宝马将在6月15日开幕的勒芒耐力赛上发布M850i xDrive。

 

New BMW X5 Officially Confirmed To Debut Later This Year

BMW had its Annual General Meeting this week and aside from providing a first glimpse of the new Vision Vehicle concept, company chairman Harald Krüger also announced when the next-generation X5 will receive its debut. While he did not provide an exact date, the man in charge at BMW did reveal the midsize luxury SUV will be officially unveiled later this year.

 

His disclosure comes to confirm the current-generation X5 (F15) will have a relatively short life cycle of about four years, with BMW deciding to skip the usual Life Cycle Impulse (LCI) in order to make the transition towards the next-gen model (G05) bound to ride on the CLAR platform. It’s not the only new X model in the pipeline for a 2018 release as this will also be the year when BMW will once again expand its portfolio of SUVs. After unveiling the X2 in October 2017, the X7 will go into production late 2018 at the Spartanburg factory in South Carolina.

 

Interestingly, Harald Krüger also said the 8 Series family will encompass at least six models, including an M8 Gran Coupe, which he said will usher in a new design language for BMW as previewed by the stunning concept a few months ago in Geneva. In other words, it means the 8 Series Coupe, Convertible, and Gran Coupe will all be getting fully fledged M models that will be considered as separate models.

 

The 8 Series Coupe is BMW’s next big reveal and we will get to see it on June 15 at Le Mans where most likely the M850i xDrive will be at the forefront.