BMW fanatics might look at the X7’s over-sized kidney grilles and whimper a rhetorical ‘why?’. The more relevant question is actually ‘why has it taken so long?’, because despite the X5 reinventing the SUV two decades ago, and BMW actually funding the previous Range Rover, it’s never dared venture into the larger, more profitable Range Rover class itself. So why? The answer lies in BMW’s shaky confidence following the financial crisis, and the four-year development cycle required to catch up.

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