BMW has been keeping busy this winter, taking many of its upcoming models out to play in the snow. The X2 has been out for a romp in the cold, as has the next-gen BMW 6 Series. Now it's the upcoming X7's turn to test itself in the harsh wilds of what we assume to be northern Sweden. Unfortunately the new seven-seat SUV doesn't appear to be any less camouflaged than the previous ones our spies spotted testing. Given the fact that there are no roads in any of these photos it stands to reason that BMW is giving the X7 xDrive a workout.

It's doubtful that many X7 owners will want to take their pricey SUV off the beaten path but they'll surely be happy knowing they have the option to. The SUV is slated to compete with the Range Rover and Mercedes GLS in the pricing department. We've heard that the X7 could be positioned above the 7 Series in terms of luxuriousness. If that's so then it may be more of a Range Rover competitor, at least in terms of pricing. The Range starts at $85,650 whereas the GLS has an MSRP of $68,700. The 7 Series starts at $81,500. Once loaded up with options it's not outrageous to think that the new X7 could come in around the $100,000 mark. A range of six-cylinder and eight-cylinder gas/diesel engines will be on offer, as will a plug-in hybrid.

There's still no word on whether or not a V12 will be on offer. (It better be.) An X7 M with AWD and a burly V12 sounds like a ton of fun. However, the automaker may not want to position the X7 M too close to the upcoming Rolls-Royce SUV, the Cullinan. Production is scheduled to begin sometime in 2018 at BMW's Spartanburg, South Carolina, plant. The X7 will be a 2019 which means it will most likely debut at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show, although there's an outside chance we could see it revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show this fall.