BMW launched the X5 midsize SAV (Sport Activity Vehicle) at the tail end of the last millennium, and this performance-leaning high riding five-seater has been a top seller for the brand ever since. SHARP is here at the BMW factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina (the automaker’s largest worldwide) for the reveal of the fifth-generation X5, and this all-new edition follows the expected script: bigger footprint, bigger screens, more tech and more electrification.
The 2027 X5 is bigger than the (beloved) outgoing model, despite the fact that nobody would’ve accused it of being cramped. The wheelbase is 6 cm longer, which benefits occupants as well as powertrains; the larger chassis is engineered to accommodate ICE, hybrid, EV, and fuel-cell drivetrains. North America will initially get three drivetrains. Other world markets will see diesel PHEVs and fuel-cell models.
The base model X5 40 xDrive launches in October with a starting price of $95,500. This model pairs BMW’s silken turbocharged 3.0L straight-six with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that together make a healthy 394 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque. Power gets to all four wheels through an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. Suspension for this model is steel sprung with adaptive damping, although air suspension, active roll stabilization and rear-wheel steering are on the menu. The available M Sport Package pairs sportier visual elements with Adaptive M Suspension, M design wheels, and M Sport brakes with Dark Blue metallic calipers.
The plug-in hybrid X50e xDrive arrives later and takes this basic hardware and juices it up with a 197-hp electric motor housed within the eight-speed auto. The 3.0L six is also tuned for more power (313 hp), with the result being a total of 483 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. A 26-kWh battery pack is good for up to 100 km of electric-only driving. The X50e gets standard air suspension. Both the 40 and 50e use 400-volt architecture and run staggered 275/40 front, 315/35 rear 22-inch Michelin Pilot Sport 5 Energy tires.
Topping the range for now will be the all-electric iX5 60 xDrive that supplants the current iX as BMW’s large electric SUV. Using 800-volt architecture and the biggest battery BMW has ever installed in a road vehicle (141 kWh), the iX5 60 xDrive gets an impressive max EPA-rated range of 700 kilometers. It should be no slouch either with 570 horses and 593 lb-ft of torque on tap, although tempering that urge will be its extra mass. The iX5 60 xDrive comes in about 590 kg heavier than the mild-hybrid 40 xDrive. This EV sports BMW’s latest sixth-generation eDrive technology, delivering up to 460 kW charging power which under ideal circumstances can add up to 270 km in 10 minutes charge time.
By its stance and profile, the new X5 is immediately identifiable as a BMW, and there’s no question it’s an “X” as the new LED headlight signature can be configured to display a double X on each side. The grille-size pendulum swings the other way here, with the signature BMW kidney grille shrinking and becoming more upright and defined when compared with the outgoing model. It’s also illuminated. Designers went for clean flanks, and in service of that aesthetic the haptic door handles are little winglets that hide at the base of the B- and C-pillars.
Once nestled into the snug and comfy front chairs, drivers grasp a newly-designed steering wheel featuring a unique interior structure and no horizontal spokes. Yes, BMW has reinvented the wheel and it’s a pretty slick creation. BMW has also reimagined its iDrive interface, now dubbed BMW Panoramic iDrive, with one of its main features being Panoramic Vision that projects content across the full width of the lower windshield. Driving info appears on the left in the driver’s field of vision, while the centre and right areas can be personalized and viewed by all passengers. There’s a distinct lack of physical controls in the new X5 – the tried-and-true console-mounted iDrive rotary controller is gone. The central 17.9-inch display is the primary touch interface, although the X5’s steering wheel also sports haptic controls that interestingly only illuminate when that particular function is available. And of course, the latest gen “Hey BMW” voice prompt with learning capability should cater to one’s every whim, be that drive, infotainment or HVAC related.
Some of the myriad available upgrades for this new X5 include 23-inch rolling stock, 18-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio with Dolby Atmos, power-operated doors and “Ceremonial Light Carpet” welcome animation display.
Enthusiasts will note there is no thundering V8-powered M version of the 2027 X5 at launch. Fear not. BMW promises an M-badged V8 pavement pounder is in the wings.
