Report: Rolls-Royce SUV still under consideration

Despite recent comments to the contrary from the British automaker’s CEO, a new report suggests that a Rolls-Royce SUV could still be in the cards.

BMW is still weighing whether to build an ultra-luxury Rolls-Royce off-roader, according to an Automobile report. The final decision is reportedly being held up not by abstract concerns about the vehicle’s effect on Rolls-Royce’s brand image, but rather by more practical considerations.

As engineering unique underpinnings would be too costly an enterprise for such a low-volume model, BMW is currently evaluating its product portfolio to determine if an existing platform could form the basis of the Rolls-Royce SUV. The leading candidate is the F15 architecture used by the next-generation BMW X5, which may be stretched to accommodate a new, seven-passenger X7 model in the near future.

If BMW gives the X7 the green light, then the business case for the Rolls-Royce ‘ute  (which would need a LWB design to be appropriately palatial inside) would begin to make sense.

The other major issue for BMW is the question of what to put under the SUV’s bonnet. Fitting a V12 into the F15 platform is possible but would be costly; other alternatives include utilizing BMW’s 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, either by itself or in conjunction with a pair of electric motors for an extra low-end kick and improved fuel economy.

Should BMW be able to sort out all of the details, Rolls-Royce could potentially debut its answer to the upcoming Bentley SUV as early as 2017.