BMW has revealed the next-generation X5, and this is much more than a normal redesign. In its official press release, the fifth-generation X5 brings Neue Klasse design and technology to one of the brand’s most important SUVs. It also arrives with BMW’s broadest powertrain strategy yet.
The new X5 is still instantly recognisable as BMW’s big luxury SUV, but the design is cleaner and more modern than before. Up front, it gets the new double-X lighting signature and a more restrained kidney grille, giving it a very different face from the outgoing model.
Inside, BMW has made an even bigger change by removing the traditional driver display behind the steering wheel. Key information now appears on the brand’s Panoramic iDrive display at the base of the windscreen, while a large central touchscreen handles most of the cabin controls.
The biggest shift, however, is under the skin. BMW is calling this a “multi-energy” X5, because it will be offered with combustion, plug-in hybrid, fully electric and hydrogen powertrains, depending on market and timing.
The petrol X5 40 xDrive uses BMW’s 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six with 48V mild-hybrid tech. BMW says it can reach 60mph in around five seconds.
Plug-in hybrid buyers will get the X5 50e xDrive, which also uses a six-cylinder engine but adds electric assistance for a quicker 0-60mph time of 4.6 seconds. The fully electric iX5 60 xDrive is expected to offer up to 435 miles of range, with 800V charging, and a 10-to-80 percent charge in around 22 minutes on a suitable charger.
A hydrogen-powered iX5 Hydrogen will follow later, while higher-performance models, including a V8-powered M Performance version, are scheduled to arrive later in 2027.
Pricing starts at $73,550 for the X5 40 xDrive, including destination, while the X5 50e xDrive starts at $78,950. The electric iX5 60 xDrive starts at $81,250, with deliveries expected to begin later this year.
For BMW, this seems like one of the biggest X5 updates yet. The design is bolder, the cabin is more digital, and the powertrain lineup is built for a wider range of buyers.