BMW has released the first official details and pictures of its all-new X5 ahead of its planned debut at September's Frankfurt motor show.
The new third-gen X5 will not only be lighter and more efficient than the car it replaces, but for the first time it will also be offered with a new 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine and rear-wheel drive.
As you can see from the pictures, the new X5's styling is evolutionary rather than revolutionary. There are clear parallels between the new model and its predecessor; however, the new car gets a more aggressive front end with BMW's trademark kidney grille flanked by a pair of twin headlight units with LED daytime-running lights.
The front bumper of the new X5 also features what BMW refers to as 'Air Curtains', which help channel air through the front wheel arches to 'Air Blade' ducts situated behind the front wheels.
On the inside, the X5 has been given a revamp, with the dashboard now boasting a 10.2-inch widescreen display. BMW also claims that the interior is more spacious, while luggage space has increased by 30-litres to 650-litres. 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats are also available, boosting luggage capacity to 1,870-litres -- a 120-litre improvement over the old model.
Three engine variants will be offered at launch: the xDrive50i, which gets a new 4.4-litre 450bhp V8 petrol engine, the xDrive30d, which gets a 258bhp straight-six 3.0-litre diesel engine, and the M50d, which also gets a 3.0-litre straight-six diesel, but with three turbochargers bolted onto it, giving a grand total of 381bhp.
The most powerful model in the range, the xDrive 50i will hit 62mph in 5.0 seconds and return around 27mpg, while the most frugal model in the range, the xDrive30d, will hit 62mph in 6.9 seconds and return 45.6mpg.
A further three engines will be added to the line-up shortly after the car's UK launch, including a new entry-level sDrive25d model, which BMW claims will return a combined 50.4mpg and emit just 149g/km of CO2.
The X5 has always had a reputation as a driver's car and BMW claims to have improved the driving experience on offer in the new car by giving the driver greater control over the car's setup. The driver can now choose between four different suspension modes: Adaptive Comfort, Adaptive Dynamic, Adaptive M and Adaptive Professional. All models also come with torque vectoring on all four wheels, which helps to control both understeer and oversteer.
The new X5 goes on sale in the UK in November with prices starting from £42,590 for the new sDrive25d, rising to £63,920 for the xDrive50i.
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