The new BMW X5 evolves dramatically but doesn’t abandon its roots
Long before SUVs became the default choice for luxury buyers, BMW took a gamble on a vehicle that promised to blend some measure of rough-road capability with the driving dynamics the marque was famous for. The year 1999 saw the introduction of the founding member of the X family, the X5.
BMW calls it an SAV (Sport Activity Vehicle) instead of an SUV, and now, more than two decades later, the SAV is entering its fifth generation.
One thing definitely stands out. The new X5 adopts the styling inspired by BMW’s Neue Klasse design language, and yes, you’re right that it looks like the much-anticipated iX3, which isn’t an unattractive car. The front-end design is upright and features a vertically aligned kidney Iconic Glow and new ‘double-X’ light icons for the first time in a BMW. It’s available in 11 exterior shades, with wheel sizes up to 23 inches depending on the model, and offers the M Sport package and M Sport package Pro with distinctive features.
The interior has undergone a major overhaul and seems to adopt a minimalist, digital design ethos. There’s a new Panoramic iDrive display running the latest BMW Operating System X, a free-standing infotainment screen, a 3D head-up display, an optional passenger screen for the first time, a new multifunction steering wheel, and what BMW calls ‘Panoramic Vision,’ essentially a full-width windscreen projection that displays key driving information across the base of the windscreen.
According to BMW, the interior’s elegance has been upped with designers using decorative panels made from slate (a natural stone) and glass instead of the usual wood, aluminium, or carbon fibre.
The new X5 debuts with a total of five powertrain options. Starting with the X5 40 xDrive, this model uses a mild-hybrid 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-6 engine with 294kW and 580Nm. It travels from 0-100km/h in 5.3 seconds before electronically maxing out at 250km/h. The X5 40d features a mild-hybrid 3.0-litre turbodiesel unit with 230kW and 670Nm, enough to send it to 100km/h from a standstill in 6.1 seconds en route to a 250km/h top speed while shifting through an 8-speed Steptronic transmission.
There’s an X5e xDrive PHEV that combines a 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine and an electric motor fed by a 29.4kWh battery pack for a combined output of 360kW and 700Nm. BMW says this model can drive up to 102km between charges. There’s also an electric iX5 60 xDrive, which is essentially a successor to the formidable iX. It’s the only EV in the range and brings with it two electric motors (one on each axle) for xDrive, powered by a 141kWh battery pack. Power is rated at 425kW and 805Nm, enough to catapult the nearly 3-tonne SAV from 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 210km/h and it uses a 2-stage single-speed transmission with a fixed ratio.
The iX5 is equipped with an 800-volt electrical architecture that accepts up to 460kW DC fast charging. As for the driving range, BMW quotes up to 845km, making it one of its longest-range EVs to date.
Lastly, the X5 M60e xDrive PHEV is the performance variant of the pack. Gone is the V8-powered M60i in the X5, and it’s been replaced by fewer cylinders in the form of a 3.0-litre turbopetrol unit with an electric motor powered by a 29.4kWh battery pack. It produces 450kW and 800Nm to let it dash from 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds en route to a top speed of 250km/h or 140km/h when in EV mode. V8 enthusiasts shouldn’t despair entirely, though. BMW has hinted at a full X5 M arriving later in the G65’s life cycle, which should bring the fire back to those who feel electrons alone don’t tell the whole story.
The new BMW X5 does seem like a carefully managed transition that balances heritage and necessity. With five powertrain options, including diesel, petrol, PHEV, and full electric, BMW clearly understands the market dynamics, and that’s the right move.
BMW plans to launch the new X5 globally before the end of 2026. South Africans are earmarked to receive their first units from early 2027. Like previous generations of the X5, the new one will also be produced at the BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in the USA, with the iX5 being the first EV to be built there.
