BMW Once Owned Range Rover, Now It Wants To Make One

It’s easy to forget that between 1994 and 2000 Land Rover and its prestigious Range Rover flagship were under BMW control. Well, maybe BMW is getting nostalgic about missed opportunities because the word is that the German brand has plans to tackle the Range Rover head-on with a rugged, ultra-luxurious SUV.

The idea isn’t locked in yet, but it’s clearly more than idle chatter. Speaking at a recent event in Munich, senior vice president of Neue Klasse, Mike Reichelt, made it clear BMW is actively exploring new directions. “In principle, we look at the market, and we look at options to increase our product portfolio,” he told Australia’s Carsales website.

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That includes going tougher than anything currently wearing an X badge. While BMW has spent years perfecting road-focused SUVs, it hasn’t really stepped into the mud with purpose. That could change soon, with insiders pointing to a project internally known as G74, though Reichelt hinted that either the plan wasn’t yet fully formed, or more likely he wants to keep us guessing. 

“In principle, Neue Klasse technology would also be possible to integrate in such a car,” he said, per Carsales. “But there are many questions. Is it a fully electric vehicle only, or do we use another architecture that we have?”

Hybrid The Obvious Choice

To us it sounds like BMW isn’t ready to go all-in on electric for this kind of machine, even though sales of the brand’s current EVs are constantly growing, and are about to exploded again now that the iX3 is coming through, and with the i3 electric 3-Series following close behind.

That makes sense. Luxury buyers and hardcore off-road buyers in places like the US, Australia, and the Middle East still lean toward combustion power, especially when serious durability is part of the brief. BMW’s broad platform and powertrain strategy means it can keep its options wide open, whether that means straight petrol, hybrid, or something in between.

More Car-Like Than G-Class

Under the skin, expect a reinforced version of BMW’s existing unibody combustion architecture rather than a traditional ladder frame when the SUV lands, around 2029. That puts it closer philosophically to a Range Rover than a G-Class, even if the mission is similar. And you can put money on BMW M putting its mark on the model.

“I could imagine M on off-road products, because if you come from racing there’s not only the WEC and IMSA, but also the Dakar,” M boss Frank van Meel told Car Expert recently. “I don’t think an off-road M model is a contradiction because, in Dakar, if you look at the race cars, they’re quite performance-driven cars as well. So, if there would be a segment like that, I wouldn’t say no.”

If the green light comes, this SUV could also reshape BMW’s lineup at the top end. Reports suggest it might take over from the XM (below), which hasn’t exactly become a universal fan favorite. A tougher, more adventurous flagship could resonate better with buyers who want luxury without leaving capability behind.