2018 BMW X7: The Ultimate Shuttling Machine BMW enters the full-size three-row SUV game.

2018 BMW X7: The Ultimate Shuttling Machine BMW enters the full-size three-row SUV game.             

                        What It Is

: A big, family-hauling SUV with three rows of seating and room for seven. Basically, a Bavarian school bus.

                                         Why It Matters

: BMW is late to the large-SUV game. Former CEO Norbert Reithofer spent huge sums developing the “i” subbrand. Now that he’s out, the company has decided that instead of changing the world, it just wants to haul its well-heeled kids to prep school, so the potentially very profitable X7 enjoys top priority within the company. Like the X5, the X7 will be assembled in South Carolina.

                                   Platform

: Built on BMW’s largest rear-wheel-drive platform but with available four-wheel drive, the X7 will have cutting-edge connectivity, driver-assistance, and infotainment systems. As to its off-road capabilities, this BMW is no Jeep, but that’s okay since its customers probably think of parking lots when they hear “off-road.”

                                    Powertrain

: BMW’s proven lineup of inline-six and V-8 gasoline and diesel engines will channel their torque to the drive wheels through a ZF eight-speed automatic.

                                        Competition

: Audi Q7, Cadillac Escalade, Infiniti QX80, Land Rover Range Rover Sport, Lincoln Navigator,Mercedes-Benz GLS-class, Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2.

                                       What Might Go Wrong

: The Ultimate Kinder-Carrying Machine just doesn’t work as a tagline.

                                             Estimated Arrival and Price

: Early 2018, at a considerable premium over the X5, so expect a starting price north of $75,000.