One of the first vehicles to change the standard of SUV driving was BMW’s X5 SUV, which arrived on the market in 1999. The vehicle was incredibly fast, looked hansom, had a luxurious interior and could make you think, at times, that you were driving a real sports car.
It helped bring about the “crossover” SUV segment a group of SUVs that are closer to cars than trucks in terms of construction and/or driving dynamics. Other fun-to-drive luxury SUVs followed, such as Nissan Motor’s Infiniti FX and Porsche’s Cayenne. Now, BMW has created an overhauled, second-generation X5, which will go on sale at the end of November for a base price of $46,595.
Like the outgoing X5, the new model will offer both a 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine and a 4.8-liter V8. But X5 buyers might be a little confused by BMW’s promise, in a recent statement, that the new model’s engines will have “more power and greater efficiency.”
While the base engine is indeed more powerful horsepower is up to 260 hp from 225 hp the outgoing 4.8-liter V8 has five more units of hp than the new one, 355 hp vs. 350 hp.
This leads us to believe that BMW is planning to equip the X5 with something even more powerful than the 4.8-liter V8. The company needs something dramatic, since Porsche has raised the bar with its new 520-hp Cayenne Turbo S.
Powerful engines are just one part of the X5, which is tuned to be sporty. The new model also features a new, standard six-speed automatic transmission; an upgraded suspension and all-wheel-drive system; and a body shell optimized to be both lightweight and torsionally stiff. BMW says the goal of these modifications is “excellent agility and dynamic performance.”
BMW has also increased the X5’s ground clearance, making it more suitable for off-roading. The vehicle has standard run-flat tires, which can stay inflated despite punctures. The key interior modification is a larger cabin that can fit up to seven seats; the outgoing X5 is a five-seater. BMW says the new X5’s interior uses “the most sophisticated materials” available.
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