The fifth-generation of the BMW X5 “Sports Activity Vehicle” is arriving by the end of the year as the next model to adopt the brand’s Neue Klasse design language. Along with the new digs is a multi-powertrain approach providing electrified internal-combustion variants and a fully-electric model.
Confirmed at the launch at BMW’s assembly plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the new X5 will arrive this October, starting with the X5 40 xDrive, followed by all other variants sometime in 2027, including an M Performance model powered by a V8 engine; and farther out, a hydrogen-powered iX5.
Both X5 40s, the standard rear-driven model and the all-wheel xDrive variant, are powered by BMW’s B58 engine, a 3.0-liter inline-six boasting improved numbers, now 394 horsepower and 428 lb-ft of torque, thanks to an improved turbocharger. It’s paired with a 48V mild hybrid system for a little extra urgency and congruent power delivery. The X5 50e xDrive plug-in hybrid takes the same B58 and pairs it with a 194-horsepower electric motor mounted inside the eight-speed automatic. Powered by a 26.5-kWh battery, total output is rated at 483 horses and 516 lb-ft of torque, and can deliver a manufacturer estimated 44 miles of pure electric range.
The first battery-electric X5, the iX5 60 xDrive, of course requires a much larger battery to power its 800V architecture, a pack with 144 kWhs of usable energy, efficiency of which has been maximized by clever battery engineering. With an electric motor at each axle, the iX5 60 xDrive is deploying 570 horsepower and 593 lb-ft of torque, the rearmost motor serving as the primary driver. Current range estimates, again provided by BMW, place the iX5 up to 435 miles.
As we’ve mentioned previously with other Neue Klasse entries, like the iX3 and i3, how this fresh design language looks is a matter of personal preference. WIth LED elements so often defining the look of contemporary vehicles, it’s unsurprising to see such a dramatic use of light emitting diodes, especially the quadruple “X” motif upfront, between which is an outline twin kidney grille. Body-color pieces dominate most of the design, with black contrast used to further define the side pockets and grille work; and in the rear, painted surfaces appear as if to hook into the otherwise dark diffuser. The side profile is largely uniform, broken up by wheels upwards of 22 inches in diameter and, if you look close enough, small tabs by the windows serving as door handles.
Similarly, the use of LED ambient lighting helps characterize the cabin, which also sees the expected placement of large digital displays. While the 14.6-inch passenger screen is optional, the large 17.9-inch central display is standard, joined by BMW Panoramic Vision, which spans the entire length of the windscreen’s bottom edge. If that wasn’t enough, BMW’s 3D Head-Up Display is also standard, projected above the panoramic windscreen display.
BMW’s Spartanburg plant is now touted as the “Home of the X,” simultaneously honored with a new “X” sculpture outside the plant. There’s a clear emphasis being put on their operations at the plant, and their SUV lineup, so we expect to see more news coming out of Spartanburg in the near future.