What’s hot?
- BMW ramps up the X5 formula, improving comfort, luxury, efficiency, style while also cutting weight in this latest third generation guise.
- High all-round refinement. The X5 is ultra smooth and quiet on the move, especially in the motorway, a true luxury machine.
- The TwinPower turbo 3.0-litre straight-six is another BMW classic, with top level response, smoothness and pedigree soundtrack.
- Huge wall of torque (630 Nm) peaking at just 1500-2500 rpm gives this big SUV effortless low rev punch.
- Steptronic 8-speed automatic shifts easily and imperceptibly, matched to crisp kick down response.
Predictably prestigious cabin – and there’s a third row of seats that folds away into the floor - Solid and sure on the motorway, this M Sport X5 is also encouragingly agile and wieldy over twisty roads with understeer and roll well contained.
- A new, lighter xDrive 4WD system also features as part of the extensive weight saving make-over to keep the X5’s fuel consumption/emissions to a minimum – 44.8mpg combined with 166g/km in this instance.
- High quality cabin is big, plush and smart, with plenty of room for five. Third row seats can be individually stowed beneath the floor
- Capacious luggage bay with useful split tailgate.
- With Cornering Brake Control (CBC), Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), Hill Descent Control (HDC), plus ECO PRO (for driving fuel efficiency) and more, all as standard, the X5 is not short on cutting edge tech.
What’s not?
- For the company car sector, the cheaper, lighter, two-wheel drive X5 sDrive 25d is obviously better positioned with lower BIK and emissions.
- As BMW takes the X5 further into the realms of luxury cars, so it’s perhaps inevitable that the X5 seems to grow inexorably in size and price.
- Although standard equipment is generous with this particular X5, it’s still a surprise to find some features such as the front comfort seats, and seat heating, are still extras, on the ever bracing BMW options list.
- With the refreshed X3 on the market, and new X4 on its way, will they steal some of the X5’s thunder?
- To put our test X5 xDrive 40d M Sport on the road, with options, would require (deep breath) £65,115.
