The BMW X5 is the 4×4 that never puts a foot wrong. Think about it. There’s never been a weak model, much less a bad generation.
This third iteration on the theme improves efficiency, practicality and responsiveness and you wouldn’t expect anything less really. It’s all change but business as usual.
There’s some new nomenclature to get to grips with here. The big thing that you’ll need to come to terms with is the concept of a front-wheel drive BMW X5.
That’s right, the range opens with the 215bhp BMW X5 sDrive25d, powered by a four-cylinder diesel. You can also buy this engine in a ‘proper’ four-wheel drive form.
Those looking for more in the way of grunt will want the 254bhp 3.0-litre six-cylinder xDrive30d. More power and a drop in weight means this model now accelerates from 0-62mph in 6.9 seconds – seven-tenths quicker than before.
The 309bhp X5 xDrive40d is where things start getting really serious and then there’s the M-badged M50d with 381bhp and 546lb/ft of torque, resulting in a sprint to 62mph of 5.3 seconds. Your petrol-powered options are slim but strong, with the xDrive50i. With 443bhp, 479lb/ft of torque and the ability to crack five seconds to 62mph with a favourable wind, this is a minority interest model, but we’re certainly glad it’s along for the ride.
The addition at the base of the range of the X5 sDrive 25d means that this X5 actually opens at a more accessible price than its predecessor. You’ll now need around £43,000 to put one in your garage.
BMW claims to have improved efficiency by an average of 20% across the board, not only through engine advances but also via extensive weight and drag-reduction measures, making the new X5 the lightest and most aerodynamic car in its class. The X5 is fitted as standard with ECO PRO, Auto Start-Stop, Brake Energy Regeneration, on-demand use of auxiliary units, electric power steering and low rolling resistance tyres. Extensive use of ultra-high-tensile steels in the body structure, an aluminium bonnet and magnesium instrument panel support and thermoplastic side panels have reduced the weight of the X5 compared with the previous model, with the xDrive30d weighing just 2,145kg. The car’s drag co-efficient (Cd) has meanwhile been reduced to as low as 0.31.
This translates into excellent fuel economy and emissions. The entry-level X5 sDrive25d returns 50.4mpg on the combined cycle with carbon dioxide emissions of just 149g/km. Want something with four-wheel drive and some real power? Try the X5 xDrive40d which sends its 309bhp to all four corners and yet still returns 44.1mpg and emits just 169g/km. When you pause to consider that not so very long ago you’d have got 38.2mpg and 179g/km from a 146bhp Ford Fiesta ST, it’s a mark of BMW’s engineering prowess.
The X5 once again demonstrates BMW’s thorough understanding of this market sector.
Now that buyers take good looks and sporty handling as a given across the board, the Germans have pushed the envelope a little further in other areas. It’s not always wholly original, as the quest for Mercedes-style safety provision and Audi-style interior finishes proves, but it’s hard to escape the notion that this is by some margin the most well-rounded car in its class.
Highly Commended: New Range Rover Sport, Porsche Cayenne, Land Rover Discovery and Mercedes-Benz M-Class.
Model: BMW X5
Price: Around £43,000
Engine: 215bhp BMW X5 sDrive25d begins the range
Performance: 0-62mph in 8.2 seconds; top speed 137mph
Economy: 50.4mpg
CO rating: 149g/km