We’ve been having an internal discussion at BMWBLOG, about how BMW is likely to make a pickup truck in the coming years. Such an idea might seem absurd to BMW purists, who can’t imagine imagine their favorite Bavarian performance brand getting all yeehaw and making a pickup. However, it’s almost an inevitability at this point and, if (when) it does happen, it could look a little something like this BMW XM pickup truck render.

First, let’s talk about why BMW is likely going to eventually make a pickup. The electrification of the auto industry is going to lead to many more unique and interesting body styles from traditional automakers, simply because they’ll be able to. Electrification frees up designers and engineers to make more interesting cars that are a bit outside of the box.

Why a pickup truck, though? Pickups are becoming immensely popular from non-legacy brands. Rivian is leading the charge, with its shockingly good R1T and it’s getting the attention of enthusiasts that don’t even traditionally like pickups. The R1T’s ability to blend so many segments together—it’s a pickup truck, an off-road machine, a luxury car, and a performance car, all wrapped up in one handsome, practical package—is second to none. And automakers are beginning to take notice.

Mercedes-Benz is looking to develop an electric pickup based on Rivian’s chassis. Volkswagen is going to borrow Ford’s electric truck chassis for its upcoming Scout sub brand, and then there’s of course the truck brands like Ford and Chevy. Electric pickups, even luxury ones, are going to become incredibly popular in the coming years and BMW is going to want to jump on that train at some point.

Which is actually a cool idea. If BMW can make cars like the XM, immensely heavy SUVs that somehow lack the utility of an actual SUV, then it can make a cool, all-electric pickup. While I certainly hope nothing is every built off of the BMW XM, as its design needs no further use, this render does show off some interesting ideas for a BMW pickup, like the barn-door tailgate.

We have no official word on if BMW will make a pickup truck. No one from BMW has told us anything of the sort. We’re just reading the landscape and it seems that all premium brands will be forced to make some sort of pickup in the future and it could be similar to this render.

[Render provided to us by behance.net/kdesignag | instagram.com/kdesignag]