The Cadillac Escalade Could Be Getting a Very Unexpected Rival in the Near Future

The Cadillac Escalade may get a direct rival from Munich’s finest. AutomotiveNews reports that there’s some supposed and sizable demand for an extra-large SUV to slot above the already sizable X7.

The renowned outlet spoke with Kirk Cordill, the chairman of BMW’s National Dealer Forum, at a recent event. And in that interview, Cordill said that a big SUV would really help BMW compete against the likes of the Escalade, the Lincoln Navigator, the Lexus LX, Infiniti QX80 and so-on.

But whether such a thing will happen or not remains to be determined.

It could be called the X9, if it does happen

BMW

It’s no mystery that the demand for SUVs isn’t going anywhere. And demand for them is actually increasing and expanding into niches never once explored before.

Speaking on behalf of the BMW’s dealer network and reflecting on the wants and desires of American customers, Cordill said that such an SUV from BMW would be groundbreaking. And, it would be a great opportunity to grab a slice of the full-size SUV pie, already dominated by the American and Japanese automakers.

Infiniti

“It’s something we could really challenge Escalade, Navigator or QX80 with,” Cordill said in his interview with AN. “Something that is a big, three-row SUV. I think we’d do really well with it in the U.S.”

Despite high gas prices and increased tariffs for foreign-made vehicles, Cordill believes the segment represents untapped potential for brands like BMW.

According to AN’s own statistics, Escalade sales jumped around 20 percent last year. Lincoln even saw a huge spike with its renewed Navigator, which experienced a 43 percent hike in sales.

How about Alpina vs. Black Label?

Lincoln

Cordill also even went as far to say that there could even be room for an ultra-lux version from Alpina. He also claimed that such a model would compete against the creme of the crop, like the Lincoln Navigator Black Label.

But of course, these are just expressions of demand, rather than a hint at any actual product. At the base of every model and their business cases is customer demand.

BMW

“Alpina would be a natural extension of that class,” Cordill continued. “We did get a chance to see some of the new Alpina product that is coming and I’ll say that I think people will be really impressed with it. It’s a little further out, but it’s beautiful. The X9, I think we’d do extremely well with.”

But for such an SUV to come to fruition from BMW would be quite ambitious as the brand currently does not have a body-on-frame platform. That is, if the X9 were to come to life as a direct competitor to the other luxury body-on-frame SUVs.

Cadillac

BMW is reportedly on track to build a rugged SUV aimed at the likes of the Mercedes-Benz Geländewagen. But from what we last heard, that new rugged off-roader will utilize the next-gen X5’s new platform.

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

Related Topics