This full-size luxury sport-utility model marked the brand’s entry into the three-row, flagship SUV class. It was first revealed in late 2018, with production centered at BMW’s Spartanburg plant in South Carolina and market launch beginning in March 2019. From the start, it was positioned above the smaller X models as the most spacious and most premium member of the line, aimed at buyers who wanted the brand’s familiar driving character in a larger, more family-oriented package.
The vehicle’s arrival reflected a broader push into the luxury segment and completed a range that already covered compact, midsize and performance-oriented crossovers. Its design emphasized upright presence, a long wheelbase, a split tailgate and a distinctly upscale cabin with standard third-row seating in many markets. That combination of size, comfort and brand identity made it notable not just as another SUV, but as the company’s first true full-size luxury SAV.
It has remained in continuous production since launch, with updates and refinements arriving over time rather than a break in the nameplate’s history. Because there has been only one production era to date, there is no separate earlier or revived run to distinguish.