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The BMW X7 has entered its final 12 months of testing with pre-production units rolling off the assembly line in the U.S.

Built at the BMW Group Spartanburg plant in the U.S. alongside the X5 and X6 models, the pre-production X7 units will now head to development department specialists, who will put them through rigorous testing. The pre-production vehicles will also be used for homologation and registration, but you can expect to see spy photos surfacing in the coming months while BMW conducts endurance tests for the upcoming SUV. Those prototypes will also drive under extreme conditions in the desert regions of Death Valley and on the ice and snow in Scandinavia. Naturally they will all be wearing camouflage to conceal as much of the design as possible.

SEE ALSO: 3 Things the BMW X7 Designer Loves About the Concept Car

Previewed by the BMW X7 iPerformance Concept, the upcoming full-size SUV will make its production debut before the end of 2018.

“We are proud to produce the BMW X7 here in Spartanburg, the home of our X models,” said Knudt Flor, head of the BMW Group Spartanburg plant. “This is a very special vehicle and our employees are looking forward to yet a further member of the X family. Together with the BMW X7, a total of five BMW X models will be exported from Spartanburg to all four corners of the globe.”

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