The All New BMW X5

BMW X5 Review

BMW has been officially selling the X5 for over half a decade and in that time, the SUV has done fairly well for the brand. Thanks to its spacious and luxurious cabin and car-like dynamics, the X5 has proved to be a successful model for BMW India.

Now in its third generation, the 2014 X5 claims to be lighter, more luxurious and sportier than ever before. BMW India has launched this new model in the Indian market, hoping to replicate the success of its predecessor. The brand has announced that the 2014 X5 will be locally produced at its Chennai facility as a diesel variant. The SUV will hit the showrooms from June 2014 onwards.

Exterior

Design wise, the 2014 BMW X5 takes heavy inspiration from the rest of the BMW range. The most noticeable change is at the front-end. The F30 3-Series-inspired fascia looks much sharper than before. The rest of the design gets a similar update, giving the X5 a more aggressive look.

The new X5 is available with what BMW calls Design Pure Experience package. It includes features such as front/rear bumpers with moulding finished in titanium, B and C pillar and mirror base in black high gloss and override guards in stainless steel in front, side and rear. At the back, the exhaust pipes are finished in matt chrome.

Interior

In typical BMW fashion, the new X5 retains the brand’s familiar driver-centric cockpit with its swooping dashboard. The seats for driver and front passenger feature lumbar support and a memory function. BMW says the rear seats feature particularly comfortable upholstery and can be individually adjusted in many ways. The third row of seats includes two individual fold-down seats.

Engine and Gearbox

The X5 gets a 3.0-litre straight six diesel engine that makes 258bhp of max power and 559Nm of torque. BMW says this model takes just 6.9 seconds to sprint from 0 to 100 kmph and hits a top speed of 230 kmph. The transmission is a ZF eight-speed unit that transmits the power to all four wheels.

As expected, the new X5 comes standard with BMW’s xDrive – an all-wheel drive system that monitors the driving situation constantly and distributes power accordingly between the axles.

Price

The new X5 will be available in all BMW showrooms from June 2014 onwards, with prices starting at Rs 70.90 lakh (ex-showroom) for the xDrive30d with the Design Pure Experience package. The SUV is being offered in Alpine White, non-metallic paintwork and in the following five metallic paintworks: black sapphire, glacier silver,imperial blue brilliant effect, space grey and sparkling brown.

Specifications Summary

Engines

2993 cc, Diesel, 258 bhp @ 4000 RPM power

Gearboxes

8-speed, Automatic, AWD

Seating Capacity

7 seater

Steering

Power steering 

Price: 70.90 lakhs

Ex-showroom, New Delhi