Source: BMWSource: BMWBack in February we reported that BMW was working on a competitor to Mercedes' venerable G Class as well as the ever-favored Range Rover.Supposedly, it was going to live under the internal G74 nomenclature; the Munich-based brand was tasking its engineers with creating a vehicle that could compete with its German arch-nemesis off-pavement while still being a BMW when on tarmac. But those rumors have now led to a dead end, and it appears that BMW has called off the plans for the G74 Rugged SUV.Source: BMWSource: BMWAdvertisementAdvertisementNow it's BMWBlog with the unfortunate news for those hoping for a real off-road-capable roundel-bearing rig. They claim that sources inside BMW are saying that the production of G74 is stalled ahead of production, with final approval pending-and not looking likely.Supposedly being developed on BMW's modular CLAR architecture, the would-be G-Wagen competitor was benchmarked against class leaders like those from Rivian as well as the obvious Mercedes stalwarts. The vehicle was reportedly going to carry the Neue Klasse design, but applied to something more boxy and immediately evocative of beyond-pavement adventures.Though there has never been public confirmation of a real four-by-four BMW in the pipeline, anonymous sources were indicating it was happening. But now BMW has noticed that the segment it was chasing is shrinking, so an all-new, body-on-frame off-roader for the street might not be viable on the business level. Don't forget, car companies exist to make money first and foremost.BMWBlog also notes that BMW has spent its last decade-plus trying to fill every available niche, and has in turn ended up killing off effectively every one of those gap-plugging cars (See: 3 Series GT, 5 Series GT, 8 Series, 6 Series Gran Coupe, etc.). Once the 3 Series was no longer a name applied to coupe, convertible, sedan, and wagon, all bets were off.AdvertisementAdvertisementThen again, stranger things have happened. Don't forget that Ford was able to cook up cars like the GT without the public knowing, only to release them to immediate fanfare. BMW's G74 "Rugged SUV" might not quite fit that same description, but we wouldn't be surprised to hear that something like this was under extremely close watch. Whether it's real or not, well... that's something we'll have to wait and see.Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter here.
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