BMW X5 XDRIVE40E

The i8 was something of a landmark in the hybrid sportscar genre. It served as the perfect platform from which to launch the next model in BMW’S environmentally conscious portfolio – the X5e.

The idea is perfect because SUVS have always had a reputation for being guzzlers, and BMW has made amends by using technology gleaned from the i8’s development for the hybrid X5e – which uses an electric motor integrated with its eightspeed transmission to supplement the petrol engine.

Admittedly, there isn’t a bellowing V8 or sonorous six under the bonnet, but a turbocharged four-cylinder motor that provides sufficient grunt for one not to miss anything larger.

The 180 kw and 350 N.m from the fossil fuel engine made its presence felt on the open asphalt around the Hartebeespoort area during the launch in Gauteng, but it was while driving through Sandton and navigating slow-moving traffic that the hybrid system came into its own. For the record, the X5e’s combined outputs are 230 kw and 450 N.m. Leaving the BMW head office in Midrand and setting off before lunch, my co-driver and I were able to achieve a best of 1,8 litres/100 km, making full use of the maximum range that the electric motor could manage from the 60 per cent capacity we started our journey with. Basically, for my commute back home in Cape Town, I could very possibly use no fuel during the 32 km daily grind. From: R1 097 500