Quote:
Originally Posted by mkoesel
From M Division? And on the 8 Series underpinnings? But perhaps the intel from the original source is inaccurate.
At any rate an X8 would make for interesting debate. Would such a vehicle supplant the X6 as the 8 Series essentially does the 6 Series? It would seem like a good bet.
|
As I see it, the X3/X4 and X5/X6 (and more recently X1/X2) pairs are here to stay, as they cover the C, D and E segments with a complementary offer that fulfills most needs. In other words, most buyers shopping for an SUV will certainly find a model to their taste within this lineup depending on their criteria (practical or stylish, large or compact) and budget, and conversely most of these models will sell well thanks to the current global SUV frenzy (although the X2 will certainly face harsh competition from the new Evoque).
Therefore I'm pretty sure the X8 will not replace the X6 but complete it, replicating its formula on the upper F segment as a coupé version of the X7, and again I'm not worried it will sell. The outgoing 6er Coupé on the other hand is exiting the declining 2 door E segment (with pretty much its only competitor being the E Class Coupé), and while Mercedes can rely on its image and luxury coupé heritage to keep selling both an E Coupé and an S Coupé, it seems as though BMW aren't confident they can follow that, and in order to maintain a large 2 door coupé offering, they had to keep the sporty philosophy and size of the 6er while glazing it over with the freshly exhumed upmarket image, prestige and nameplate of the 8er, and marketing it exactly as this high luxury + high sportiness mix that is distantly aiming at Aston Martin territory ('The Gentlemen's Racer'). Or maybe it was a deliberate choice to just mix the best of both worlds into one model.
I'm pretty sure Scott was joking about an X8 Concept for Geneva though, as the production X7 still has to be revealed and settle in first
