New BMW X5 prototype review: how can Audi or Mercedes compete with this?

Verdict

The latest evolution of the BMW X5 is sure to be the best yet. It will boast an unrivalled variety of powertrains embodying the brand’s philosophy of “freedom of choice”, technology so intuitive to use you will forget how cutting-edge it is, and a supremely well judged balance between comfort, refinement and sure-footed handling. It’s hard to see how Audi or Mercedes will be able to counter this, because the new X5 looks set to raise the bar yet again. 

The BMW X5 is, unquestionably, one of the most important cars of our time, because it turned the SUV from a rugged, off-road utility vehicle into something luxurious, engaging and desirable, paving the way for the likes of the Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7. After 27 years and more than three million sales since the original X5 arrived, the new fifth-generation model is finally ready for launch and will make its world debut on 30 June.

Auto Express can reveal plenty more than that about the new X5 though, because we were among the first people outside BMW to drive it – and not just one version around a heavily policed proving ground. Prototypes of the petrol, plug-in hybrid and pure-electric versions were all at our disposal, along with the open roads of Spartanburg, South Carolina in the US – the birthplace of every X5 and almost all the brand’s SUVs, in fact. 

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“Our mission was clear: to make the new X5 the most versatile and technologically advanced SAV [Sports Activity Vehicle] we have ever built,” the head of the project, Michael Ahlers, told us. 

Nowhere is this clearer than in the unparalleled range of powertrains that will feature in the new X5, which looks to be among the most diverse on the market. Mild-hybrid petrol and diesel six-cylinder engines will kick things off, followed by a plug-in hybrid with an EV range of more than 60 miles and then a fully electric iX5 that will, eventually, replace the award-winning iX. 

If that’s still not enough choice, there’s even going to be a hydrogen fuel-cell version in 2028. But given that there’s only about half a dozen hydrogen filling stations in the UK, that particular is unlikely to be coming here. 

Underneath, every version of the new X5 will use an updated version of the outgoing model’s CLAR platform. We thought BMW would have used its new Neue Klasse architecture for the electric car, however sticking with one platform for every X5 means they can all roll down the same production line. 

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Plus, as Christian Karg, head of driving dynamics for the BMW Group, explained, it gave the engineers a massive head start. Thanks to their years of knowledge and experience from refining the previous generation, they already knew what and where they could improve things this time around

The iX5 won’t miss out on any of the cutting-edge ‘Gen6 eDrive’ tech that powers the new BMW iX3 and i3, either. This includes an 800-volt electrical system for lightning-fast charging and a gigantic 141kWh battery pack with the brand’s innovative cylindrical cell design. No range figures have been confirmed yet, but the one we drove was offering 303 miles from 80 per cent charge, and that’s after being driven punishingly hard during testing. So we’re expecting it’ll be good for around 450 miles.

Then there’s BMW’s slightly cheesily named ‘Heart of Joy’ control unit and its Dynamic Performance Control software that will feature in every X5. It acts as the conductor of the driving experience, getting the drivetrain, steering and braking systems, and more, all to perform as one. 

The new X5 also has Level 2 autonomous driving capabilities, yet Ahlers reassures us the goal is to provide meaningful and reassuring assistance to the driver, not attempt to replace them. Which is exactly what we want to hear from a brand like BMW. 

As we try to digest all this knowledge, we prepare to hit the road in truly torrential rain. The heavy camouflage on all the cars we tested doesn’t give anything away about the design of the new X5, we but can make out the outline of its rather small kidney grilles – at least compared to its predecessor – and the black panels that flow outwards from them, incorporating the headlights, just as they do on the new iX3.

BMW’s famous ‘Hofmeister Kink’ in the windowline is present and correct, as well as the car’s muscular haunches. But it’s also immediately obvious there are no conventional door handles. Instead, the new X5 features a ‘winglet’ on each door, although we’re still not sure what the advantages of this are. 

Inside, meanwhile, black cloth tries to disguise the finer details of the new X5’s cabin, but there’s no hiding BMW’s revolutionary new ‘Panoramic iDrive’ set-up that ditches a traditional instrument cluster in favour of a slim customisable display stretching across the entire dashboard. 

We’re also familiar with this from the iX3 and while it is radically different to almost any other car, it’s so intuitive – having been designed to keep the driver’s eyes on the road as best as possible – that you forget about it almost instantly. The only thing going through your head is why no one thought to do this sooner. 

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We begin in the iX5 60 xDrive, which delivers 570bhp and a colossal 805Nm of torque from its dual motors, allowing it to rocket from 0-62mph in just 4.6 seconds. However, what’s far more impressive is how controlled and natural the acceleration feels in this enormously powerful car, as it builds speed rather than jumping straight to hyperspeed like some EVs.

Next, we swap into the plug-in hybrid 50e xDrive, which features the same combination of a 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine and one e-motor as the previous generation. However, the boffins at BMW say they’ve refined it, improving the transition between petrol and electric power. Their work has paid off, because the handover is now almost imperceptible, as is the transition between the regenerative braking and physical discs. 

We also got to try out the X5 PHEV on a test track where, unburdened by local 55mph speed limits, we could put the hammer down. This allowed us to experience how incredibly stable the new SUV feels at autobahn speeds, helped by rear-axle steering and the fact this car was even tested on NASCAR circuits. 

But we could also enjoy the growl of the straight-six engine at full chat. It still sounds great, we’re pleased to report, and while there is an option to pump more of the noise into the cabin, we were more than satisfied with the genuine sound, of which there is plenty.

We did find that in Sport mode the gearchanges from the eight-speed automatic could be needlessly aggressive, which we didn’t love; it felt like there were noticeable gaps in the power delivery afterwards. The rest of the time, though, the shifts were super-smooth and quick. 

Finally, we took our turn in the pure-petrol 40 xDrive, which is the least potent of the lot with ‘only’ 394bhp and 580Nm. But that’s still enough for 0-62mph in 5.3 seconds and this is the least heavy of the line-up, immediately feeling much lighter on its feet.  

There’s apparently a 600kg weight difference between the lightest and heaviest versions of the new X5, but as Karg – who spends at least a week driving every car signed off under his watch – tell us: “We wanted to create the experience of an X5, and driving pleasure, independent of the powertrain. 

“So whether it’s electric, a plug-in hybrid, or whatever, the promise we make is that the X5 is always the best in the class for driving dynamics.” He added that the car should deliver on this promise, regardless of whether someone buys a base model with steel springs and adjustable shock absorbers, or goes all-in with a top-flight version that gets BMW’s active anti-roll stabilisation system.

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We did ask Karg if there’s any chance the V8-powered X5 M could return, considering the new model is based on the same platform as its predecessor. “Let’s see,” he replied with a wry smile. 

Either way, BMW’s engineers have delivered, again, and managed to make all the X5s feel remarkably alike from behind the wheel. Sure, the steering might be slightly lighter in one, and we detected more road noise coming into the cabin in the iX5, but the differences were all fairly minute.

Along the twistier roads on our test route we noticed the car leaning even so slightly through the corners, but the body movement is incredibly well controlled and feels natural, allowing the driver to get a sense of when they’re perhaps pushing the car too much. The steering was lighter than we expected, particularly in the petrol version, but even so it was direct, precise and consistent through the corners. 

The car did fidget slightly on certain roads, but we assume this is a side-effect of the suspension being tuned with handling as a priority. It’s a price we’d happily pay, plus the fidgeting was nowhere near enough to be annoying or make the new X5 feel uncomfortable, especially because it also did an impressive job of absorbing the impacts from potholes – although these did send a thump into the cabin.

Rather amazingly, at no point in our drive covering all manner of roads have the car’s ADAS features nagged or bothered us, even when we headed off the beaten track. After dealing with aggravating lane-keep assistance and speed-limit warnings in a few cars recently, it’s reassuring to know that some companies can get this right.    

We expect the new X5 will cost about the same as the current model, meaning a starting price of somewhere between £70,000 and £75,000 for the base petrol and diesel. The plug-in hybrid version is likely to cost closer to £80,000, and we suspect the electric iX5 will do, too. The first examples should be arriving in the UK by spring 2027.

All-in-all, while the new BMW X5 features plenty of innovations, it still feels immediately familiar from behind the wheel and, we think, exactly like a modern BMW should. But which one did I like best? The one engineers describe as the “hidden” of the range, which feels the most agile and pleasingly punchy and mechanical: the six-cylinder petrol-powered 40 xDrive.

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