The latest BMW X5 adds to the appeal of its predecessors with new platform engineering that sees a significant tech upgrade to infotainment and safety systems, but also brings improvements to practicality and design. The X5’s styling is crisp and contemporary, with a luxurious interior that moves the game on considerably in the latest BMW style.
There are limited engine choices in the launch line-up, but each version delivers admirable performance and efficiency. The addition of an Off Road package brings an extra dimension to the X5 as well, although the focus is still very much on-road handling and performance. While the BMW X5 isn’t the most engaging driver’s car in its sector, it sits pretty close to the top of the tree.
The latest BMW X5 is instantly recognisable, which is something you can say about most other German manufacturers’ evolving model lines. That said, there are some stand-out features that differentiate the new X5 from the old model, mostly around the nose and tail. Up front, deeper kidney grilles give a bit more road presence, as do sharper headlamp designs and more sculpted body creases. At the back new tail-lights and badges mark out the new-generation car, which is also a bit bigger all round than before.
It’s the new platform beneath the X5 that provides most of the excitement. A variant of the Modular Longtitudinal Platform that also underpins the smaller X3, it comes with the option of steel or air suspension, and an array of new safety and infotainment tech.
Inside the X5 there’s been a bit of a sea-change, too, with an all-new layout that’s more angular and contemporary – at least in terms of BMW’s latest interior design philosophy. It’s luxurious and roomy, with the new 12.3-inch infotainment display offering almost all the tech options any new car buyer might want. There’s also a digital instrument pack for the driver, but it’s not as impressive as Audi’s Virtual Cockpit.
The interior quality is extremely good, with fine materials and finishes in evidence, and a sense it’s all screwed together very convincingly. There’s also a new 7.0 version of BMW’s iDrive control system, which works extremely well, although it’s getting increasingly complicated to navigate these days.
Interesting options for the new X5 include a panoramic sunroof with a starlight night-time illumination mode. You can also have laser headlamps that pierce the gloom with a 500-metre maximum range. Meanwhile, the xOffroad kit brings four loose-surface driving modes – sand, rock, gravel and snow – and adds underbody protection for X5 users who want to see a bit more of the countryside.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
The new infotainment system features wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity, but there’s still no Android Auto connection. The main interface is the iDrive controller and the 12.3-inch screen with crisp graphics, while another 12.3-inch screen replaces the traditional infotainment pack, but it’s not as configurable as Audi’s Virtual Cockpit.
As you’d expect the X5 comes with fully featured sat-nav and audio, but if you’re really hard to please there’s a Bowers & Wilkins audio option with 20 speakers and 1,500 Watts of sound.
The BMW X5 has always been noted for its road-focused performance, and that remains the case with the latest generation. But BMW has for the first time added an optional Off Road package. This brings four specific loose-surface driving modes, and also some underbody armour to deflect rocks and bumps – although it doesn’t mean the X5 is as good off road as a Range Rover Sport. Still, it should be more than capable enough for most owners.
On the road, the xDrive30d and xDrive40i benefit from standard air suspension to keep things serene and comfortable – especially on the motorway. It’s incredibly quiet and relaxing to drive, and both offer enough punch for fast overtakes should the need arise.
The sportier M50d has a steel-sprung set-up, and although it’s noticeably firmer and more resistant to roll than the standard models, the M50d remains impressively compliant and jolt free. It’s lightning fast in a straight line, and even sounds pretty sweet, with a gruff, bassy tone under hard acceleration.
All variants feature the same super-smooth eight-speed auto gearbox, and a 4x4 drivetrain that sends more torque to the rear wheels in order to emphasise the sporty driving feel. The resulting experience is not as engaging as in a Porsche 4x4, but offers more reward to the driver than most SUV rivals. There’s a Professional option pack that adds four-wheel steering, although we found this a little inconsistent in its responses, which reduced the driving pleasure.
Engines, 0-60 acceleration and top speed
The xDrive30d and the M50d both use a 3.0-litre straight-six diesel engine, but the former makes do with a single turbocharger while the latter has a mind-boggling four. The xDrive30d delivers 261bhp compared with the M50d’s 395bhp, and differing performance levels as a result. The xDrive30d is no slouch, however, covering 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds. But the M50d trumps it with a 5.2-second 0-62mph sprint time. The two models top out at 143mph and 155mph respectively.
The only petrol engine currently available is in the xDrive40i, which also gets a 3.0-litre straight-six. It’s turbocharged to 335bhp, and claims a 0-62mph time of 5.5 seconds and a 151mph top speed, splitting the performance of the two diesel options down the middle.
As one of the flagship SUV models in BMW’s range, the latest X5 unsurprisingly comes packed with advanced safety tech. The most impressive kit is part of the BMW Driving Assistant Professional pack, which offers autonomous features like intelligent cruise control with lane-keeping assistance and the ability to keep pace with flowing traffic – including making allowances for vehicles merging into your lane. Other innovations include autonomous emergency braking and an aid that steers into clear space if the system senses an imminent collision with a car or pedestrian.
There are plenty of airbags around the cabin – including knee airbags up front – and all X5s get a crash sensor that activates the central locking release, hazard lights and fuel cut-off. You also get piercing LED headlamps, a speed limiter and the usual chassis dynamic systems like Electronic Brake-Force Distribution, Stability Control and ABS. It’s a comprehensive safety package, as you would expect, and Euro NCAP has awarded the BMW X5 a full five-star safety rating.
Reliability may not turn out to be such a strong suit, however, as in the makers’ chart of the 2018 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey BMW ranked an unimpressive 21st out of 26 manufacturers. Nearly a third of customers reported one or more faults in the first year of ownership, which was the second worst reliability score of any brand in the survey.
Warranty
The warranty BMW provides for all its models is competitive, if unexceptional. You get unlimited-mileage cover for the first three years of ownership, which is better than VW Group products, which are subject to a mileage cap.
Servicing
Fixed-price servicing plans help you spread the cost of keeping your BMW X5 maintained, but the servicing schedule is variable depending on how the car’s on-board sensors think your driving style has affected oil quality. High-mileage drivers putting less strain on their engines should get a ‘service required’ message from their car less frequently than urban motorists covering low mileages in stop-start traffic.
The BMW X5 comes with only one five-door SUV body style, but the latest generation is among the most practical cars in its class. Like before, it’s available with an optional third row of seats. That said, this rearmost row is best suited to children, so if you want to carry lots of grown-ups the bigger BMW X7 might be of interest instead.
The driving position of the X5 is excellent, with the usual great BMW ergonomics and vast range of adjustment. You get a commanding view of the road ahead, too, thanks to the X5’s height, although you’ll be relying on the parking sensors or rear view cameras when reversing.
The interior of the X5 provides plenty of storage, with a large lidded bin between the front seats, a good-size glovebox and spacious door bins.
Equally useful is the split tailgate; the lower section provides somewhere to rest your shopping before arranging it in the boot, or somewhere to sit when changing into walking boots or cycling shoes, for example.
Size
The latest-generation X5 is a little bigger than its predecessor, and is usefully boxy in its outline, measuring up at 4,922mm long, 2,004mm wide and 1,745mm tall.
The Range Rover Sport is 4,879mm x 1,983mm x 1,845mm, while the Porsche Cayenne comes in at 4,918mm x 1,983mm x 1,696mm.
Leg room, head room & passenger space
Legroom and headroom are excellent all round in the BMW X5, and the small transmission tunnel is especially impressive, meaning a third central passenger can sit comfortably on the rear bench seat without making too many compromises. There’s plenty of shoulder and hip room, too, because the X5 cabin is pretty cavernous.
A worthwhile option is electric adjustment for the second row of seats; this brings a control panel in the boot, allowing you to slide the bench forward or fold the seatbacks to maximise space as you’re loading.
Boot
The X5 offers a handsomely spacious boot, although the 645 litres of total volume is beaten by the 690 litres in the Mercedes GLE. The rear bench splits 40:20:40, which is great for passing long luggage items up between the two rear passengers with just the centre section folded. Alternatively, you can fold everything to release a whopping 1,860 litres of space. The Mercedes gives you over 2,000 litres with everything folded flat, but the rear seat only splits 60:40, so isn’t as versatile. BMW’s Comfort Access option provides hands-free control of the upper and lower tailgate sections, and the retractable boot cover.
The BMW X5 is big, heavy and not short on performance, so in relative terms efficiency is fairly strong. The figures are an improvement over the previous-generation X5’s, too.
If you’re looking to minimise running costs, the X5 to go for is the xDrive30d. It has a 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine that will return average consumption of 47.1mpg under the newer WLTP test regime. That compares with 47.9mpg for the Mercedes GLE 250 d, but the Merc is quite a bit slower. Emissions of 158g/km put the xDrive30d into the 36 per cent Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) bracket, so it’s not cheap from a company car tax perspective.
The other current diesel option is the M50d, which offers much greater performance, yet still returns 41.5mpg and 179g/km. This puts it into the highest 37 per cent BiK bracket, however, and of course it’s significantly more expensive to buy than the xDrive30d, too.
The petrol-engined xDrive40i might ease your conscience as far as diesel emissions go, but it’s a lot thirstier at the pumps, claiming 33.2mpg. It also emits 193g/km of CO2, and again lives in the 37 per cent BiK bracket.
All models cost £140 in annual VED, but incur the annual surcharge of £310 for years two to six because of their £40,000-plus price tags.
Insurance groups
BMW and the Association of British Insurers haven’t confirmed group ratings for the BMW X5 yet, but given the performance on offer we’d expect ratings relatively similar to the previous model’s – the range there was from Group 37 all the way up to Group 50 for the extreme X5 M version.
Depreciation
The undoubted cachet of the BMW badge, the novelty value of the latest-generation X5 and the appeal of its style and technology should mean residual values remain strong. However, a comprehensive service record is vital at this end of the market, and owners would do well to care for their investment scrupulously to avoid paying a price at resale time.
Government approaches to diesel are causing uncertainty, and that could conceivably lead to weaker used prices in future. If you’re especially worried about that, perhaps it’s worth waiting for BMW to introduce a hybrid version, due towards the end of 2019.
from Featured Articles https://ift.tt/2Udfo03
No comments:
Post a Comment