The longest-serving member of BMW鈥檚 X family dates back to the dawn of the 21st century, and was the first BMW vehicle built in North America at the automaker鈥檚 plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Now into its fourth generation, the X5 Sports Activity Vehicle sheds its benign appearance for a more aggressive look, headed by a dominating grille.
It鈥檚 hard to make a boxy utility vehicle look anything but, but BMW mostly succeeds with shapely sheetmetal along the door panels and on the two-piece rear liftgate/tailgate.
Physically, there鈥檚 not a great difference between the new X5 and older models, except for an increase of 6.5 centimetres in width and about a 2.5-cm gain in distance between the front and rear wheels. Body height is also up a bit. The standard wheel size is 20 inches, while 21- and 22-inchers are optional.
The X5 has a new and 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.
The X5鈥檚 dash looks quite different than the more conservative gauges and switch panels of old. The traditional round speedometer and tachometer have been replaced with a 31-cm 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 quad-zone climate control, ambient lighting and a panoramic glass roof that BMW says is 30 per cent larger for 2019.
Interior options include a 20-speaker, 1,500-watt Bowers and Wilkins-brand sound system, heated and cooled cupholders and dual 20-centimetre 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-litre incline six-cylinder engine that makes 335 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. The XDrive50i ups the ante considerably with a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V-8 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 11.7 l/100 km in the city and 9.1 on the highway.
For acceleration, however, the V-8-powered XDrive50i can hit 100 km/h from zero in a claimed 4.7 seconds, which is nearly a second quicker than the six-cylinder models.
An X5 plug-in hybrid is expected for the 2020 model year, as is a potent X5 M.
The X5鈥檚 updated all-wheel-drive system disconnects from the front wheels when they鈥檙e not required for traction. Otherwise, the system 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鈥檚 鈥渢wo-axle鈥� air suspension option (an improvement on the previous rear-axle system) adjusts for each wheel individually and can raise the body up to four centimetres, or lower it by the same amount for easier cargo loading.
An available off-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.
The X5鈥檚 $73,650 base price in sa国际传媒 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 BMW X7 tall wagon is on the way. Otherwise, the X5 should easily and luxuriously suffice for most needs.
THE SPEC SHEET
Type: Four-door, all-wheel-drive utility vehicle
Engines (h.p.): 3.0-litre DOHC I-6, turbocharged (335); 4.4-litre DOHC V-8, twin-turbocharged (456)
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Market position: BMW鈥檚 first utility vehicle has evolved over the years and now delivers plenty of luxury, innovative tech and performance in a package that, while not inexpensive, offers plenty of driver and passenger satisfaction.
Points: Upscale and aggressive styling is right on the mark.
鈥� Interior design holds nothing back.
鈥� Both six-cylinder and V-8 engines are plenty peppy, but the V-8 steals the show.
鈥� Upgraded xDrive AWD system was overdue.
鈥� Pricey optional accessories are tempting, but can send the final price skyrocketing.
Active safety: Blind-spot warning with cross-traffic backup alert (std.); active cruise control (std.); emergency braking (std.); lane-departure warning (std.)
Fuel economy, L/100 km (city/hwy) 11.7/9.1 (3.0);
Base price (incl. destination) $73,650,
