Luxury, utility, technology and performance all blended into one pretty package
The longest-serving member ofBMW’s Xfamily dates back to the dawn of the 21st century, andwas the first BMWvehicle built inNorth America at the automaker’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Nowinto its fourth generation, the X5 Sports Activity Vehicle sheds its benign appearance for amore aggressive look, headed by a dominating grille.
It’s hard tomake a boxy utility vehicle look anything but, butBMWmostly succeedswith shapely sheetmetal along the door panels and on the two-piece rear liftgate/tailgate.
Physically, there’s not a great difference between the newX5 and older models, except for an increase of 2.6 inches in width and about a one-inch gain in distance between the front and rear wheels. Body height is also up a bit. The standard wheel size is 20 inches, while 21and 22-inchers are optional.
TheX5 has a newand more rigid platform that also supports the 2019 3-series sedan. Underpinning it is a set of electronically controlled dampers that react instantly to varying road surfaces, which gives a smoother ride. The settings can also be adjusted from comfort to sport (which firms up the suspension) using the so-called Driver Experience Control.
TheX5’s dash looks quite different than the more conservative gauge and switch panels of old. The traditional round speedometer and tachometer have been replaced with a 12.3-inch instrument cluster plus an adjacent screen of equal size for controlling the navigation, communications and audio systems. The familiar console-mounted iDrive knob is in charge of those functions.
As before, you can order your X5 with a kid-size third-row seat for transporting up to seven passengers.
Standard equipment includes quadzone climate control, ambient lighting and a panoramic glass roof that BMW says is 30 percent larger for 2019.
Interior options include a 20-speaker, 1,500-watt Bowers and Wilkins-brand sound system, heated and cooled cupholders and dual 10.2-inch touchscreens for the second row, which is part of the rear-seat entertainment system.
Of the two available models, the xDrive40i comes with a turbocharged 3.0-liter incline six-cylinder engine that makes 335 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. The XDrive50i ups the ante considerably with a twinturbocharged 4.4-liter V8 worth 456 horsepower and 479 pound-feet.
An eight-speed automatic transmission directs power to all four wheels.
For fuel efficiency, the xDrive40i is the go-to model, with a rating of 20 mpg in the city and 26 on the highway.
For acceleration, however, the V8-powered XDrive50i can hit 60 mph
from zero in a claimed 4.5 seconds, which is nearly a second quicker than six-cylinder models.
An X5 plug-in hybrid is expected for the 2020 model year, as is a potent X5 M.
TheX5’s updated all-wheel-drive system disconnects from the front wheels when they’re not required for traction. Otherwise, it splits the torque between the front and rear wheels as needed and can shift the rear torque to the outside wheel when turning, which is intended to aid steering accuracy and stability.
BMW’s “two-axle” air suspension option (an improvement on the previous rear-axle system) adjusts for each wheel individually and can raise the body up to 1.6 inches, or lower it by the same amount for easier cargo loading.
An availableOff-Road package can be added to the air suspension and includes protective underbody plates. Hill-descent control maintains a crawling speed when heading down steep inclines.
TheX5’s $58,200 base price includes most dynamic-safety technology such as emergency braking and lane-departure warning, but excludes a wealth of convenience options and semi-autonomous driving aids that will drive up the price.
For those in need of more people/ cargo space, the bigger and brawnier BMWX7 tall wagon is on the way. Otherwise, the X5 should easily and luxuriously suffice for most applications.