What image does BMW conjure up in your mind? A car that handles like a dream, that is fast and sporty, yet luxurious and comfortable? Chances are, that's exactly what you expect of a BMW.
A sports utility vehicle (SUV)? It conjures up a rugged, truck-like vehicle that goes off-road but does not deliver a smooth ride or good handling on the highway.
An SUV from BMW? Can it be? That's the question many have asked since BMW announced it was introducing a SUV. It's now available locally and it promises to change the perception of the SUV.
If you've been looking for a luxury SUV that is as pleasant to drive as a luxury sedan, the X5 might be just the car you're looking for. Its predecessor was the trendsetter, creating a brand new segment in the market. And now the new BMW X5 is raising the driving experience in an SUV to an even higher level.
The handsome new X5 is an evolution of that original SUV concept. Its looks are familiar. From the front, kidney-shaped grille to the rear tailgate, the curvy X5 is all BMW.
The slope of the tailgate is almost identical to that of the 540i wagon and it has a window that can be opened independently of the split tailgate, which is useful when you want to put something in the rear cargo compartment quickly.
The new X5 has grown slightly taller and wider, but it's really only the stretched overall length that changes the look of the thing. It is 188 mm longer than the outgoing model, with 114 mm of that increase given to the wheelbase. The result is a more planted, station-wagonlike appearance compared to the tall-and-tippy look of the original X5.
This subtly more stable look accurately telegraphs the evolutionary changes in the X5's driving behaviour. From what I've read, if the original X5 had a major fault, it was its sometimes flinty ride.
But the '07 model barrels down the road with the stability and serenity of a large luxury sedan. This is particularly impressive, given that the standard wheels on all X5s (3.0- and 4.8-litre alike) are 18-inchers, wearing run-flat tyres, and it hasn't traded any of its signature handling prowess for this improved comfort.
In fact, the X5 handles brilliantly. The narrow roads we drove along should have made driving this 2,420-kg SUV feel like riding a pig wearing roller blades. Yet, even without the optional sport package (electronically adjustable dampers, trick anti-roll bars, 19-inch wheels), I could place the X5 with surprising accuracy.
The front end bites with unexpected tenacity and will hold its line without correction. It's easy to flow smoothly through transitions without the disconcerting weight transfers normally associated with SUVs. How much of this can be attributed to the new double-wishbone front suspension (the first non-strut front on a BMW since 1961) I cannot say.
Although a new 260-horsepower 3.0-litre in-line six is the new X5's base motor, BMW also have V8s available. The new 4.8-litre makes an impressive 355 hp and 475 Nm of torque (an increase of 35 hp and 35 Nm compared to the outgoing 4.4-litre).
Paired with the new quick-shifting six-speed automatic, the X5 4.8 should be able to reach 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds. That's almost a half-second quicker than the old V8 model, despite a weight increase of 185 kg.
As we've come to expect from the X5, and from BMW in general, braking performance is excellent. To compensate for its increased heft, the company has enlarged the new model's brake discs, by about half an inch up front and almost a full inch in the rear.
The X5 is all BMW inside. A simple, uncluttered layout with touches of wood trim gives it an air of elegance. For example, the door handles have a nice brushed aluminium finish. The X5 also comes with a long list of standard features. The seats are excellent and the ergonomics are good.
The new design, which is handsome and comfortable, with a particularly nice driving position, provides the driver the luxurious drive expected. The materials are of excellent quality and the craftsmanship is top-notch. Rear-seat legroom is excellent, hence back seat passengers are give the same luxury as the ones in front.
Talking about back seat placement, the X5 also has the option of becoming a seven-seater, making the car even more versatile. This option underlines the space available in the cabin of this SUV.
The cargo carrying capacity is more than one would expect from an SUV, but of course the X5 is no minivan. That's not to say it's bad but don't expect the X5 to be a substitute for a minivan. A very sturdy rollaway cover that can be removed for a larger load carrying capacity covers the rear cargo area. The rear seats can be split 40:60 and can be folded down to provide a flat surface.
The gear change, which has an original shape, operates something like the little spring-loaded stalk shifter of the 7 series. You toggle forward for Reverse, backward for Drive and push a button on top for Park.
The X5 comes with a permanently engaged all-wheel-drive system that is more akin to one found in sedans. It does not use a transfer case, nor offer a low range setting. But the X5 is loaded with a host of electronically controlled systems to assist the vehicle in bad traction conditions: ASC (Automatic Stability Control), DSC-X (Dynamic Stability Control), CBC (Cornering Brake Control), DBC (Dynamic Brake Control), ADB (Automatic Differential Brake), HBA (Hydraulic Brake Assistant) and HDC (Hill Descent Control).
There is no room to explain them all here, but many of these are already found on BMW sedans, while others are new to the X5. Although the X5's all-independent suspension is the key to the vehicle's ride and handling, an equally important part of the X5's capability is the use of these various electronic stabilising systems. There's no doubt BMW has achieved an until now unobtainable goal with the X5: it has managed to produce one of the smoothest riding and best handling SUVs on the market. The X5's straight line and road manners are great. It feels stable; the steering is even better than in the 5 Series and the ride is smooth.
The 3.0-litre engine provides plenty of power, making it faster in the race away from traffic lights than most cars. The automatic transmission offers the Steptronic mode, which turns it into a clutchless manual transmission. This is a wonderful system for those who want an automatic with manual control.
Passive safety has been a major part of the development of the X5. It can be purchased with no fewer than eight airbags to protect occupants in a major crash. Each front seat occupant gets a front airbag, a side thorax airbag and a side head bag.
An optional side thorax airbag is available for the two rear-seat occupants. The airbag system is essentially the same as in the 7 Series.
The goal was to build a premium SUV-like thing that handles like a BMW. With more luxury, surer handling and just a pinch of additional utility, the new X5 remains atop that niche - whatever you call it.
To differentiate the X5 from the SUV pack, BMW has chosen to call its X5 an SAV. Although it's a play on words, BMW claims the X5 sets new standards in ride and handling, and I can only agree with them.
Engine variants
BMW X5 4.8i: V8 petrol engine, capacity 4,799 cc, max. output 355 hp (+ 11%), max. torque 475 Nm (+ 8%), acceleration 0-100 km/h in 6.5 sec. (-7%), top speed 240 km/h; average fuel consumption to the EU standard 12.5 litres/100 km (-5%).
BMW X5 3.0si: six-cylinder petrol engine, capacity 2,996 cc, max. output 272 hp (+ 18%), max. torque 315 Nm (+ 5%), acceleration 0-100 km/h in 8.1 sec (-8%), top speed 225 km/h (210 km/h with H-rated tyres), average fuel consumption to the EU standard (preliminary figure) 10.9 litres/100 km (-14%).
BMW X5 3.0d: six-cylinder diesel engine, capacity 2,993 cc, max. output 173 kW (+ 8%), max. torque 520 Nm (+ 4%), acceleration 0-100 km/h in 8.3 sec (-3%), top speed 216 km/h (210 km/h with H-rated tyres), average fuel consumption to the EU standard 8.7 litres/100 km (-7%).
A sports utility vehicle (SUV)? It conjures up a rugged, truck-like vehicle that goes off-road but does not deliver a smooth ride or good handling on the highway.
An SUV from BMW? Can it be? That's the question many have asked since BMW announced it was introducing a SUV. It's now available locally and it promises to change the perception of the SUV.
If you've been looking for a luxury SUV that is as pleasant to drive as a luxury sedan, the X5 might be just the car you're looking for. Its predecessor was the trendsetter, creating a brand new segment in the market. And now the new BMW X5 is raising the driving experience in an SUV to an even higher level.
The handsome new X5 is an evolution of that original SUV concept. Its looks are familiar. From the front, kidney-shaped grille to the rear tailgate, the curvy X5 is all BMW.
The slope of the tailgate is almost identical to that of the 540i wagon and it has a window that can be opened independently of the split tailgate, which is useful when you want to put something in the rear cargo compartment quickly.
The new X5 has grown slightly taller and wider, but it's really only the stretched overall length that changes the look of the thing. It is 188 mm longer than the outgoing model, with 114 mm of that increase given to the wheelbase. The result is a more planted, station-wagonlike appearance compared to the tall-and-tippy look of the original X5.
This subtly more stable look accurately telegraphs the evolutionary changes in the X5's driving behaviour. From what I've read, if the original X5 had a major fault, it was its sometimes flinty ride.
But the '07 model barrels down the road with the stability and serenity of a large luxury sedan. This is particularly impressive, given that the standard wheels on all X5s (3.0- and 4.8-litre alike) are 18-inchers, wearing run-flat tyres, and it hasn't traded any of its signature handling prowess for this improved comfort.
In fact, the X5 handles brilliantly. The narrow roads we drove along should have made driving this 2,420-kg SUV feel like riding a pig wearing roller blades. Yet, even without the optional sport package (electronically adjustable dampers, trick anti-roll bars, 19-inch wheels), I could place the X5 with surprising accuracy.
The front end bites with unexpected tenacity and will hold its line without correction. It's easy to flow smoothly through transitions without the disconcerting weight transfers normally associated with SUVs. How much of this can be attributed to the new double-wishbone front suspension (the first non-strut front on a BMW since 1961) I cannot say.
Although a new 260-horsepower 3.0-litre in-line six is the new X5's base motor, BMW also have V8s available. The new 4.8-litre makes an impressive 355 hp and 475 Nm of torque (an increase of 35 hp and 35 Nm compared to the outgoing 4.4-litre).
Paired with the new quick-shifting six-speed automatic, the X5 4.8 should be able to reach 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds. That's almost a half-second quicker than the old V8 model, despite a weight increase of 185 kg.
As we've come to expect from the X5, and from BMW in general, braking performance is excellent. To compensate for its increased heft, the company has enlarged the new model's brake discs, by about half an inch up front and almost a full inch in the rear.
The X5 is all BMW inside. A simple, uncluttered layout with touches of wood trim gives it an air of elegance. For example, the door handles have a nice brushed aluminium finish. The X5 also comes with a long list of standard features. The seats are excellent and the ergonomics are good.
The new design, which is handsome and comfortable, with a particularly nice driving position, provides the driver the luxurious drive expected. The materials are of excellent quality and the craftsmanship is top-notch. Rear-seat legroom is excellent, hence back seat passengers are give the same luxury as the ones in front.
Talking about back seat placement, the X5 also has the option of becoming a seven-seater, making the car even more versatile. This option underlines the space available in the cabin of this SUV.
The cargo carrying capacity is more than one would expect from an SUV, but of course the X5 is no minivan. That's not to say it's bad but don't expect the X5 to be a substitute for a minivan. A very sturdy rollaway cover that can be removed for a larger load carrying capacity covers the rear cargo area. The rear seats can be split 40:60 and can be folded down to provide a flat surface.
The gear change, which has an original shape, operates something like the little spring-loaded stalk shifter of the 7 series. You toggle forward for Reverse, backward for Drive and push a button on top for Park.
The X5 comes with a permanently engaged all-wheel-drive system that is more akin to one found in sedans. It does not use a transfer case, nor offer a low range setting. But the X5 is loaded with a host of electronically controlled systems to assist the vehicle in bad traction conditions: ASC (Automatic Stability Control), DSC-X (Dynamic Stability Control), CBC (Cornering Brake Control), DBC (Dynamic Brake Control), ADB (Automatic Differential Brake), HBA (Hydraulic Brake Assistant) and HDC (Hill Descent Control).
There is no room to explain them all here, but many of these are already found on BMW sedans, while others are new to the X5. Although the X5's all-independent suspension is the key to the vehicle's ride and handling, an equally important part of the X5's capability is the use of these various electronic stabilising systems. There's no doubt BMW has achieved an until now unobtainable goal with the X5: it has managed to produce one of the smoothest riding and best handling SUVs on the market. The X5's straight line and road manners are great. It feels stable; the steering is even better than in the 5 Series and the ride is smooth.
The 3.0-litre engine provides plenty of power, making it faster in the race away from traffic lights than most cars. The automatic transmission offers the Steptronic mode, which turns it into a clutchless manual transmission. This is a wonderful system for those who want an automatic with manual control.
Passive safety has been a major part of the development of the X5. It can be purchased with no fewer than eight airbags to protect occupants in a major crash. Each front seat occupant gets a front airbag, a side thorax airbag and a side head bag.
An optional side thorax airbag is available for the two rear-seat occupants. The airbag system is essentially the same as in the 7 Series.
The goal was to build a premium SUV-like thing that handles like a BMW. With more luxury, surer handling and just a pinch of additional utility, the new X5 remains atop that niche - whatever you call it.
To differentiate the X5 from the SUV pack, BMW has chosen to call its X5 an SAV. Although it's a play on words, BMW claims the X5 sets new standards in ride and handling, and I can only agree with them.
Engine variants
BMW X5 4.8i: V8 petrol engine, capacity 4,799 cc, max. output 355 hp (+ 11%), max. torque 475 Nm (+ 8%), acceleration 0-100 km/h in 6.5 sec. (-7%), top speed 240 km/h; average fuel consumption to the EU standard 12.5 litres/100 km (-5%).
BMW X5 3.0si: six-cylinder petrol engine, capacity 2,996 cc, max. output 272 hp (+ 18%), max. torque 315 Nm (+ 5%), acceleration 0-100 km/h in 8.1 sec (-8%), top speed 225 km/h (210 km/h with H-rated tyres), average fuel consumption to the EU standard (preliminary figure) 10.9 litres/100 km (-14%).
BMW X5 3.0d: six-cylinder diesel engine, capacity 2,993 cc, max. output 173 kW (+ 8%), max. torque 520 Nm (+ 4%), acceleration 0-100 km/h in 8.3 sec (-3%), top speed 216 km/h (210 km/h with H-rated tyres), average fuel consumption to the EU standard 8.7 litres/100 km (-7%).