It’s been a month since the first-ever BMW X8 prototype made its spy debut, and we finally have our first unofficial rendering of the large German premium crossover.
The BMW X8 should be unveiled sometime next year, for a 2022 sales debut. Its styling will also set it apart from pretty much all other current-generation models, with the upcoming iX EV and all-new 7-Series / i7 being its closest matches in terms of design language.
In any case, if it’s a peek underneath the X8’s camouflage you were hoping for, then this illustration, courtesy of Kolesa, is pretty much the next best thing, as it stays true to the prototype’s overall shape and even applies a few recognizable design lines and elements.
Read: Get An Up-Close Look At The 2022 BMW iX / iNext Electric SUV
Starting with the front end design, which we suspected might feature split headlights, what we have here is a plausible interpretation of what it is that’s flanking the large kidney grille. If this, or something similar to this is the “new face of BMW”, then color us a bit confused.
The profile seems pretty accurate though, featuring a continuously-rising shoulder line and a sloping roofline. It’s a bit SsangYong-ish, but we reckon BMW should be able to pull it off. As for the rear end, the render could prove true. There’s clearly a hunkered down tailgate with slim taillights hiding underneath the camouflage, and these proportions look right.
Any way you cut it, the BMW X8 should take some getting used to, but that’s not to say necessarily that it will be an ugly crossover – just different than what we’re used to at the moment.
As for tech and engine range, the X8 will undoubtedly carry BMW’s latest and greatest convenience and driver assistance systems, while electrified powertrains are a given (the prototype even had a sticker that read ‘Hybrid Test Vehicle’). Word has it we can expect an X8 M45e PHEV model, with the same drivetrain used by the X5 xDrive45e, albeit a bit more power than the latter’s 388 horses.
Note: These are independent illustrations made by Kolesa and are in no way related to or endorsed by BMW
