The BMW X5 has always been the SUV that convinced people they didn’t actually want an SUV—they wanted an X5. Now it’s back for a fifth generation, and BMW has thrown absolutely everything at it.
This is the first X5 to offer almost every powertrain imaginable. There’s a mild-hybrid diesel, a pair of plug-in hybrids, a fully electric version, a petrol model for some markets, and—because apparently 2027 wasn’t futuristic enough—a hydrogen-powered variant too.
The headline act is the new BMW iX5. Thanks to BMW’s sixth-generation EV tech, it promises up to 525 miles of range, a whopping 460kW charging capability and 578bhp. Those are serious numbers for a car that’s essentially a luxury family SUV.
If you’re not quite ready to ditch combustion, BMW’s plug-in hybrids remain. The range-topping X5 M60e xDrive packs a combined 612bhp, 800Nm of torque and will dispatch 0-62mph in just 4.5 seconds. Not bad for something that can also take the kids to football practice.
The diesel isn’t dead either. The X5 40d xDrive gets a 48V mild-hybrid straight-six producing 670Nm while remaining compatible with renewable HVO100 fuel, proving BMW still thinks there’s life left in compression ignition.
Outside, the X5 has gone full Neue Klasse. The styling is cleaner, squarer and more imposing, with an illuminated kidney grille, new ‘double-X’ daytime running lights and a smoother body that’s designed to slip through the air more efficiently.
Whether you love or hate BMW’s recent design direction, this feels more restrained than some of Munich’s latest efforts.
Inside is where the biggest transformation happens. Physical buttons continue their slow march towards extinction, replaced by BMW’s latest Panoramic iDrive system, a huge central display, head-up display and optional passenger screen.
It looks more like a high-end lounge than the cockpit of a traditional SUV, with premium materials including slate trim making a surprising appearance.
Underneath, BMW says this X5 is smarter than ever. The electric iX5 gets the company’s new ‘Heart of Joy’ control computer to sharpen handling and smooth out regenerative braking, while all models benefit from adaptive suspension as standard.
Tick enough options and you can even add rear-wheel steering and air suspension.
The driver assistance tech has also had a serious upgrade, including hands-free motorway driving at legal motorway speeds and remote parking via your phone. Thankfully, BMW still insists the X5 is designed for people who actually enjoy driving rather than simply being driven.
The new X5 will continue to be built in Spartanburg, South Carolina—the home of the X5 since 1999—with UK deliveries of the electric, plug-in hybrid and diesel models beginning in spring 2027.
