Speculations about the BMW pickup truck never stop. Another year, and here we go again analyzing the possibility of seeing such a vehicle by the German carmaker. Experts thought such rumors are shut down after Mercedes failed to impress with its X-Class. Well, it was not actually all-Mercedes thing, but the experiment didn’t go as expected.
BMW is probably trying to beat its archrival. If they succeed in a class where there are no tri-point star badges, it can cause a lot of interest in other vehicles as well. An advantage over Mercedes is a ladder frame, used by the X7 SUV. The only other German vehicle with this architecture is G-Class. So, there is a good starting point for the development.
Anyway, it is not so easy just to convert the SUV into a pickup truck. Work on the body is probably the easiest task. The real question is if the market needs a luxury ute. The next one – how much buyers are willing to pay for the premium pickup? If BMW slaps a similar price to the X7 SUV, then they can’t count on too many sales.
Under The Hood
Since the BMW pickup truck will be based on the largest SUV in the family, it is easy to predict these two vehicles will share powertrains. An I6 turbo engine seems like a good source of power for the base truck. After the latest revisit, it provides 375 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. That is more than competitive to other pickups in the midsize and half-ton segment. But, as a luxury truck, BMW fans will want more from this model. Anyway, an I6 is mated to an automatic transmission and sends power to all wheels. The SUV with this unit can tow up to 7,500 pounds if you pick the Towing Package with a hitch.
The new BMW truck will definitely have to offer a V8 engine as an alternative. We assume the price is going to gain at least $15,000 because of this upgrade. Engineers could tune the mill to deliver 500-550 horsepower. The towing capacity of the SUV with this powertrain is the same, 7,500 lbs. The pickup needs to offer more to draw the attention of serious truckers. They won’t go after the performance and luxury equipment.
Performance Truck
BMW could go after high-end models in the truck market. FCA made a strong impact when they launched the Ram TRX with a 6.2-liter supercharged engine and 702 hp. Ford responded immediately with the Raptor R truck and 700 hp. But, those are two famous truckmakers and the base models are very popular in the US. BMW is a stranger in this world.
The German company has a lot of potential to compete with those trucks. The BMW pickup might get a twin-turbo V8 mill with 630 hp. The BMW XB7 Alpina is using this setup for the best performance in the class. It is still not close to 700 hp, but the BMW truck can make it up with the luxury and other goodies.
BMW Pickup Truck Price
The main problem with a luxury truck class is the price. Truckers are usually upgrading base models, so they can work better. Adding a more potent engine is always one of the wishes. But, this will cost you at least $15,000 on the BMW pickup truck. And the entry-level version will already be loaded with a lot of advanced options and premium features, so its price will be above the one in the non-luxury segment, even with upgrades buyers usually pick. One thing is sure – BMW won’t sell its products cheap.
This is the main obstacle for the German carmaker to test its potential in the new world. Mercedes already failed with the X-Class. However, it was a rebadged Nissan Navara. One of the most famous carmakers in the world didn’t waste too much time and funds on this project. But, if BMW is successful, be sure that Mercedes is responding quickly.
BMW Pickup Truck Expectations
We already wrote about Cadillac Escalade truck and a few other luxury pickups that might hit the market soon. Year after year, these rumors prove to be false. Fans believe that only one model is needed to start the avalanche of luxury trucks. Lincoln, Mercedes, Volvo, Lexus are also waiting for moves by other companies. It is not so simple, without guarantees vehicles will sell good. Examinations of market don’t show promising results. That is why all those projects are on the standby.
The BMW pickup truck looks like one of the most serious concepts. The German has it all – the platform, engines, premium features. In the past, the company was building a car-based pickup. So, fans are eagerly waiting for the tradition to be continued.
