BMW rolls out bigger, better X5
Newswheel staff :: 09 August 2006 :: Filed under SUV, BMW, BMW X5, Europe & UK, US
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Seven seats ahoy
Like it or loathe it, BMW’s X5 was the original driver-friendly antidote to the usual slack-at-the-tiller land yacht SUVs. In fact, the first X5 is so good that the new model, unveiled by BMW today, will need to be technological tour de force to stand a chance of seriously improving on it. Which is handy…
Big but not bloated: The new X5
Handy because the all-new X5’s spec list really is an embarrassment of riches. The high-tech paraphernalia kicks off with goodies like Adaptive Drive suspension, takes in a few relative baddies such as BMW’s infamous ride-ruining run-flat tyres and rounds out with shiny new we’ll-rate-it-once-we’ve-tried features including the Head-up Display which projects speed, navigation and check control messages into the line of sight of the driver.
Of course there’s more. Much more, from Brake Drying and Brake Pre-tensioning, DSC stability control and a rear parking camera to BMW’s active steering system and Hill Descent control. Not to mention iDrive, a 205-watt, 12-speaker stezza as standard and with full iPod compatibility. And those are just some of the key highlights. The fine detail of the X5’s feature list is a litany of cutting edge electronic, hydraulic and safety systems.
But perhaps even more important than the tech-soaked spec list is a significant improvement in passenger and luggage capacity. The outgoing X5’s only real weakness was the absence of a seven-seater option and a general deficit of interior elbow room for such a large vehicle. Well, X5 circa 2007 will be precisely 188mm longer and will offer an optional third row of seats for that all-important seven-seat stat (though BMW says only passengers up to 5 foot six inches in height can be accommodated comfortably in the rear-most pews).
There’s also eight per cent more luggage capacity the X5 of old. And if you’re wondering whether the X5’s new-found features and practicality come at a cost in terms of kerb weight, you’ll have hold that thought for now. Although BMW says the chassis and suspension is all-new from the ground up and incorporate several light-weight technologies, it has yet to divulge the full horror of the X5’s kerb weight. Needless to say, however, BMW claims the new X5 is 15 per cent stiffer than old.
But however much it weighs, the smart money says the new X5 has a good chance of out-handling every other SUV on the market. For starters, BMW has moved to double-wishbone suspension up front in the quest for ever more accurate wheel control. A sophisticated multi-link arrangement does duty at the rear. But that’s just the beginning. New with the second generation X5 is the aforementioned Adaptive Drive, a pair of hydraulic anti-roll bars combined with and electronic damping that promises total body control in almost any circumstance. As ever, BMW’s Active Steering system is an optional extra while the xDrive all-wheel transmission retains a 60/40 rear/front default torque split for that authentic rear-drive feel.
That’s a whole lotta tyre…
By what, you cry, of the X5’s engines and straight line performance? Well, it’s a trio of largely familiar though slightly fettled lumps. Six-pot petrol power comes courtesy of BM’s lovely 3.0-litre magnesium straight-six. Power is as per other BMW models fitted with this unit - 268bhp and 232lb/ft. The six-cylinder 3.0-litre diesel option, meanwhile, cranks out 229bhp and 383lb/ft (for you user-chooser wage slaves out there, let it be known that the oil burning 3.0d returns a CO2 emission figure of 231g/km). Finally, the range is capped by a 4.8-litre bent eight which thrums an all-square 350bhp and 350lb/ft tune. An all-new six-speed torque converter slushbox delivers up to 50 per cent quicker shifts than the old X5’s auto cog-swapper.
The new X5 against the clock:
| 0-62mph | Vmax | Combined cycle | |
| BMW X5 3.0si | 8.1 sec | 140mph | 25.9mpg |
| BMW X5 3.0d | 8.3 sec | 134mph | 32.5mpg |
| BMW X5 4.8i | 6.5 sec | 150mph | 22.6mpg |
Which just leaves the minor matter of the X5’s styling. Contrary to the rather upright and ungainly look of the mules and prototypes caught testing in recent months by tree-dwelling scoop photographers (not to mention the car’s increased size), BMW has maintained the X5’s sporty and dynamic (well, for an SUV, folks) vibe. What’s more, cleaner, taughter surfaces drag the whole shebang into the new millennium. It’s striking. It’s imposing. And it will sell, sell, sell.
We’ll update shortly with UK on-sale dates and pricing. Ciao for now.
Posted 16 January 2007, by Remi.h
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