BMW moves to secure the X9 name, but the giant SUV remains unconfirmed

## Three applications do not make a new car

According to Autoblog, three trademark applications relating to the X9 name are pending. One is an EU-wide application and two are German filings; one of them uses the full designation BMW X9.

A trademark filing is not a patent for a vehicle, platform or technical solution. It seeks protection for a name and, if granted, can prevent rivals from using it for similar products. Carmakers routinely secure model designations years before a launch, and some of those names never appear on a production vehicle.

X9 could therefore point to an active development project. Equally, it may be no more than a defensive move to reserve the upper end of BMW’s X-model naming hierarchy.

## A senior US dealer representative wants more than the X7

Speculation around the X9 gathered pace in early 2026, when BMW National Dealer Forum chairman Kirk Cordill called for a larger three-row SUV. In a published interview, he said BMW could use such a model to challenge the Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Navigator and Infiniti QX80.

BMW has not turned that request into a production plan. Cordill is an influential dealer representative, but his comments are not a product commitment or market assessment issued by the manufacturer.

The current X7 is already 5,181 mm long, 2,000 mm wide and 1,835 mm tall, with a 3,105 mm wheelbase. Depending on configuration, it seats six or seven people. BMW’s global technical data lists luggage capacity at 300 litres with all three rows in use and up to 2,120 litres with the rear rows folded.

The X7 looks enormous on European streets. In the US full-size luxury-SUV segment, however, it competes with long-bodied models that still leave a useful luggage compartment behind the third row.

## The Audi Q9 shows what buyers might expect from BMW

BMW’s trademark applications have become more interesting now that Audi has officially unveiled the Q9. Audi’s new flagship is 5,310 mm long and has a 3,140 mm wheelbase. It is therefore 129 mm longer than the current X7, with an extra 35 mm between the axles.

The Q9 seats seven as standard. In the optional six-seat layout, every occupant has an individual seat; all six are at least partially power-adjustable, while the two second-row seats are individually electrically adjustable. In Germany, the 220 kW diesel version starts at €108,400.

The Q9 is still shorter than the long-wheelbase Cadillac Escalade ESV, but it shows that European manufacturers are stretching their three-row flagships towards American full-size proportions. It is more accurately a direct rival to the X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS than proof of an entirely new class above them. Even so, a possible X9 would enter a market in which the race for larger European luxury SUVs has already begun.

## The XB9 filing leaves room for BMW ALPINA

BMW is also seeking protection for the XB9 designation. The name follows the logic established by the XB7 and could suit a BMW ALPINA derivative, but it does not confirm that such a vehicle exists. Nor does the filing prove that a future X9 would receive a more luxurious or more powerful XB9 version.

A large, comfort-focused XB9 would be consistent with BMW ALPINA’s current positioning. The brand officially emphasises discreet high performance, long-distance comfort, personalisation and high-value materials rather than the more track-focused character associated with BMW M. For now, however, any link between XB9 and an actual vehicle remains informed speculation.

## An X9 would need to offer more than a stretched X7

BMW could hardly justify a new model designation with nothing more than a longer rear overhang and a larger boot. An X9 would need to provide a clearly roomier third row, substantially more luggage space and a level of luxury capable of challenging the upper reaches of the Escalade, Range Rover and Audi Q9 ranges.

There is no confirmed information about its platform or powertrains. Claims that an X9 would necessarily use X7 architecture, borrow components from the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, receive a V8 or adopt a fully electric drivetrain would therefore be premature.

Such a model would logically be aimed primarily at affluent customers in the US, the Middle East and China. Its size, weight and ownership costs would limit its appeal in Europe, although a luxury manufacturer may need only modest volumes if the profit margin is sufficiently high.

BMW has at least placed the X9 name on the table. The vehicle itself remains hypothetical. Until prototypes appear or Munich issues an official confirmation, the filings show only that BMW does not want to leave the X9 designation available to a rival.