BMW X3 pick-up plan

BMW could do a "Volkswagen" and reveal its new X3 four-wheel drive as a pick-up at this September's Frankfurt motor show.

Two years ago, Volkswagen showed the AAC concept pick-up at Detroit in a move widely interpreted as signalling the design direction for the four-wheel drive wagon it is developing with Porsche.

The X3 wagon is tipped for 2004/2005 production. It was confirmed as a definite future BMW model by company chief executive officer Professor Joachem Milberg in March, along with the 1 Series small rear-drive car and the 6 Series coupe.

European sources are confidently predicting the X3 pick-up will be a BMW concept star at Frankfurt and could even make it into production targeted at the US market.

"BMW will unveil a truck to test reaction of the public at Frankfurt," our source insisted.

"The truck will be based on the upcoming X3 but with an open-air cargo area.

"This will be public perception-based research for feasibility purposes, but at least we can get an idea of what the X3 will appear like." The pick-up has been spied testing in both southern Germany and the US desert and there are suggestions it will be fitted with a V8 engine for Frankfurt.

The look has also been described as "very, very sporty" by one source.

Previously there have been reports that BMW was developing a long wheelbase, X5-based four-door, five-seat pick-up, but our sources are emphatic this car will be X3-based.

In the late 1990s reports also surfaced of a sporty, small BMW utility codenamed K2, which incorporated a unique folding roof that converted the car from a coupe to pick-up.

BMW Australia product and market planning manager Ralf Kaiser denied any knowledge of the X3 concept.

"I am not aware of any such car in the pipeline," he said. "They may display an X3 pick-up but that doesn't mean such a car will go into production."