BMW to make a significant product announcement on March 28th, could it be the X7?

Model could be based on the 2016 7-Series

Rumors about a BMW X7 have been swirling for years but the speculation is reaching a fever pitch ahead of a "significant economic and product announcement" on March 28th.

BMW has been coy on details but the announcement will be made the Spartanburg plant in South Carolina. This suggests it will be crossover related as the plant currently builds the X3, X5 and X6.

Despite the lack to details, the announcement seems significant as BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer will be joined by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley - among others.

While it would be natural to assume the X7 would ride on an extended version of the X5 platform, speculation suggests the model could actually be based on the next-generation 7-Series. If this pans out, the crossover could be relatively lightweight as the 7-Series is expected to use a variety of carbon fiber and aluminum components.

Source: BMW, Handelsblatt and Car & Driver