Cars

New and brilliant: five BMW X5s

World premiere for the new BMW X5: the fifth generation launches with five powertrain options, a new design and the technologies of the New Class. With the new X5, Munich has pulled off a clever play on numbers with real substance.

Text
Marko Knab
Photos
BMW

Five times five is twenty-five – most of us still remember that basic multiplication table from primary school. For the world premiere of the new X5, BMW prefers to go with five plus five: the fifth generation, five drive configurations. The original SAV (Sports Activity Vehicle), which launched its own segment back in 1999, is thus pulling off a numerical feat that’s nothing to be sniffed at.

It all starts with the generation itself – the fifth for a model that, after more than 25 years, is still setting the standard. Then there are the powertrains: the new X5 is the brand’s first model to launch with five different powertrain options. Petrol and diesel engines come with 48-volt mild-hybrid technology, joined by plug-in hybrids and, for the first time, a fully electric BMW iX5. Later, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen will follow – the first BMW production vehicle with a hydrogen powertrain, with an expected range of up to 750 kilometres. The iX5 60 xDrive has a range of up to 845 kilometres, charges quickly thanks to 800-volt technology and can even feed electricity back into the grid bidirectionally.

1/5

Visually, the X5 looks more monolithic and powerful than ever before. The New Class design language has also made its way into the largest SAV in the BMW portfolio: the vertically oriented BMW kidney grille now features the ‘Iconic Glow’, complemented by new double-X light icons and BMW Winglets – door handles that open electrically with a light tap. Eleven exterior colours and, for the first time, wheels up to 23 inches in diameter complete the look, whilst the X5 M60e xDrive sets its own tone as the sporty flagship.

The paradigm shift continues in the interior too: BMW Panoramic iDrive with Operating System X, a 3D head-up display, an optional BMW Passenger Screen (available for the first time) and BMW Panoramic Vision across the entire width of the windscreen. When it comes to materials, BMW is forging its own path and is the first manufacturer worldwide to offer slate as a decorative surface, combined with glass panels. Dr Joachim Post, Member of the Board of Management responsible for Development at BMW AG, sums it up as follows: thanks to its ‘New Class’ status and range of powertrains, the X5 is set to once again become the ‘benchmark in its class’.

The new generation will be built at the BMW Group plant in Spartanburg in the USA, where the X5 has been rolling off the production line since 1999. Series production will begin in August 2026, with the market launch scheduled for the end of November 2026; the electric and plug-in hybrid variants will follow in early 2027. The iX5 marks another first for the site: it will be the first all-electric vehicle to roll off the production line there.

Five generations, five powertrains – and a success story that is far from over.

→ More on the new BMW X5

Marko Knab

Journalist & Photographer

Life writes the best stories - and Marko Knab tells them in text and picture form. His focus: people & their very own stories and cars, motorsports and travel stories. He already worked for Motorsport-Total.com while completing his Bachelor's degree in German Language, followed by a brief stint at a local daily newspaper and a Master's degree in literature and cultural theory - and ramp.

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