BMW has been making kind of a big deal lately over its all new i sub-brand of fuel efficient vehicles. The i3 and i8 have each made their respective debuts, and while the EV and plug-in hybrid boast a plethora of new technologies, it appears that BMW doesn't have plans to apply any of them to a new SUV. CarAdvice is stating that BMW has already trademarked model names ranging from i1 to i9, although it's not sure whether all of those designations will be used.

However, what's for certain is that an SUV is not a part of those plans. Why exactly? Simply because SUVs don't fit the brand, according to i3 project manager Roland Kowalski. "We're not thinking about SUV on i models. For BMW i, we are talking about an urban concept for megacities. The thing with the SUVs is nobody, more than 90 percent, needs four-wheel drive for the city. The SUV trend is only a thing about the space or the roominess." Instead, BMW is considering a future i-badged sedan or crossover. This would make business sense considering EV rival Tesla will launch its Model X crossover sometime next year.