SPY PICS: BMW's next-gen X5
Prestige carmaker's crucial new SUV will deliver roomier cabin and new four-pot dieselBMW’s existing E70 X5 is getting long in the tooth, having been around since 2007, and now undergoing final development is an all-new replacement that will take the fight to Mercedes-Benz’s latest-gen ML.
It’s expected the next-gen model will go on sale in 2013, completing the revamp of BMW’s SUV line-up following a facelift for the offbeat X6 later this year. Also waiting in the wings is the smaller X4 that’s expected in 2014.
Getting back to the X5, pictured here courtesy of the master spy photographers at Carparazzi, it will reportedly grow in dimensions vis-a-vis the current model, giving it adequate breathing space over the second-gen X3, which is enjoying far greater sales success than its awkward looking predecessor.
That said, the new X5 is said to use the same architecture as the X3, with MacPherson strut suspension at the front and a multilink set-up at the rear.
In line with its increased length (which could stretch close to the 5m mark), the revamped X5 is expected to offer more generous levels of cabin space, with third-row seating again figuring in the options list.
Among the technical highlights will be the availability of a four-cylinder diesel engine in a variant that could be badged BMW X5xDrive25d. This motor is likely to be an upgraded version of the existing 152kW 2.0-litre oil burner, with added grunt to offset the X5’s two-tonne-plus girth.
Further up in the range will be the usual assortment of six-cylinder and V8 petrol and diesel units, with the V8s likely to find favour mainly in the US, Middle East and China.
Despite its age, the existing X5 continues to sell strongly in Australia, with 1693 sales to its credit during the first seven months of this year, compared with 1590 for the same period in 2011.
By way of comparison, Merc’s ML notched up 1297 sales until the end of July, followed by the Lexus RX (1114), Volkswagen Touareg (1002), Volvo XC90 (840) and Audi Q7 (644).
Carparazzi has also supplied a computer generated image to illustrate how the new X5 is expected to look without the camouflage.
— with Carparazzi
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