New BMW X5 revealed
The X5 SUV gets an updated look both inside and out, plus a new infotainment system and revised engine options. Here’s everything you need to know, including the price, specs and release date...
On sale: April 2023 | Price from: £66,320
In some ways, the revisions to the new BMW X5 are very similar to those that you might find after updating your smartphone's operating system. It closely resembles what you're used to, albeit with a sharper look and more power than before.
Let’s start with what’s under the bonnet. As before, the X5 will offer plug-in hybrid (PHEV) engine options, while its six cylinder petrol and diesel engines employ mild hybrid tech, with small electric motors that assist the engine under hard acceleration to improve both performance and fuel economy. These engines now have more power than before, though, and the range-topping V8 gains the technology for the first time.
The xDrive40i's six-cylinder 3.0-litre petrol engine now produces 375bhp (up 46bhp from before) and 383lb ft of torque (up 53lb ft), enabling it to sprint from 0-62mph in 5.4sec. Its diesel equivalent – the xDrive30d – produces 294bhp and 364lb ft of torque. While its 0-62mph time is slightly slower than the petrol (6.1sec), its official combined fuel economy is slightly higher at 39.8mpg against the xDrive40i's 33.2mpg.
The PHEV, meanwhile, called the xDrive50e, combines a 309bhp 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine with a 194bhp electric motor and 25.7kWh (usable) battery. The system produces 503bhp when petrol and electric power combine, and it can officially travel up to 68 miles on electric-only power. That’s up from 54 miles with the outgoing xDrive45e, but still below the official 70 miles the Range Rover Sport P440e can travel. This means that the latter will remain slightly cheaper to tax than the X5 for company car drivers.
For those who crave a bit more power (and are less worried about fuel consumption), the range-topping M60i xDrive has replaced the M50i, using a new mild hybrid 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine from BMW’s M performance division. It produces a potent 523bhp and 553lb ft of torque, enabling it to go from 0-62mph in just 4.3sec, which is a tad quicker than the Range Rover Sport P530 with its 4.5sec time.
Inside, the X5 gets the eighth generation of BMW’s iDrive infotainment system, which uses a 14.9in touchscreen that abuts a 12.3in digital driver's display in a curved housing. Like other BMW models that feature the new system, the physical climate controls have gone the way of the dodo, with all functions now accessed via the infotainment screen instead. We think this is a backwards step, because it’s much more distracting to make adjustments while driving than with physical buttons.
Thankfully, unlike in the smaller BMW X1 family SUV, you still get a rotary controller between the front seats, which you can use to navigate through the infotainment menus without using the touchscreen, so you can make adjustments that way.
Meanwhile, sleeker central air vents and LED-backlit trim add some visual pizazz to the interior.
Speaking of pizazz, the X5 is now available with an optional illuminated grille, as seen on the bigger X7 and tech-filled i7 electric luxury saloon. Elsewhere, exterior design updates are minimal, with a tweaked grille design, slimmer LED headlights, new LED tail lights and a revised front and rear bumper.
Being the X5’s sleeker sibling, similar updates will also be carried over to the X6 coupé SUV. As before, the X6 will be offered with the same range of engines, other than the plug-in hybrid.
From launch, three trim levels will be offered – xLine, M Sport and M60i. For the X6, only M Sport and M60i trims will be offered, and these include sportier styling details both inside and out.
Prices for the BMW X5 will start from £66,230 for the xDrive30d xLine and rise to £87,210 for the range-topping M60i. The X6 will cost slightly more, starting from £72,430 for the xDrive30d M Sport and £89,910 for the M60i. Despite a slight uplift in pricing over the outgoing models, both cars still cost significantly less than the equivalent Range Rover Sport, which starts from £80,325 for the D300 diesel and £116,190 for the P530 V8.
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