BMW X5 G05. Couldn't it have been right away?

BMW X5? A large SUV with a sporty character and a "bad" appearance. We know him like this, and we like him like that. And yet, in the new generation, the manufacturer has changed its attitude. It's for the best? Let's find out.

BMW X5 arose after the purchase of Land Rover by the company BMW. Thanks to this, the manufacturer of sports sedans has learned how to build a good SUV. It was practical and luxurious, but did not lose the sportiness of the brand.

And as you know, sport is often the enemy of off-road. Either we care about a rigid chassis and better traction on asphalt, or we care about high ground clearance and features that improve traction on loose surfaces.

And by nature a brand, and no other, X5 it never acquired great off-road properties. So what has changed now?

New BMW X5, new look

BMW X5 he has always represented the brand's genes in terms of style. What happened in the current generation of other models was also in X5. When the buds grew, they also grew in X5. When the rear or front lights have changed shape - in X5 he could be found.

And so until today. BMW has been ditching muscular silhouettes in favor of elegance lately - and we'll see that in the new X5 as well. The kidneys grew gigantic, but in new X5 looks cute. Of course, they also feature active flaps to help manage aerodynamics and engine cooling.

The look is still evil and characteristic, which we probably won’t say yet - it is no longer as characteristic as it was before. After all, the designers did their best. The car has grown, but its body does not look heavy.

While he grew up BMW X5? It is 3,6 cm longer and 6,6 cm wider, which breaks the magical barrier of 2 meters wide, measured without mirrors. The body is also 1,9 cm taller and the wheelbase is 4,2 cm longer. X5 the CLAR platform on which it was built. It shares it with almost all models marked with the "G" code.

although new bmw x5 gained a lot of modern technological solutions, but the weight of version 3.0d xDrive increased by only 40 kg - in the context of more than 2 tons, this increase is only 1,9%.

Air suspension has already been installed on the top models of the first generation. X5 – first as a self-levelling rear suspension, then as a fully adjustable suspension on both axles. Now they're customized for even more comfort and are available as an option on the base model for $10. zloty.

Pneumatics can adjust the height new bmw x5 within about 8 cm. The height above the four wheels is individually adjustable so that in the event of a tire puncture X5 can raise this wheel by 2 cm. In the field we can raise the ground clearance by 2 or 4 cm, on the track it will automatically lower by 1 or 2 cm, and if we pack something heavy in the car, in the trunk we will find a button that lower back by another 4 cm.

More luxury in the new BMW X5

As the dimensions of the body increased, so did the interior. BMW X5. The dashboard is reminiscent of the BMW 8 Series we recently tested. The focus here is the new Live Cockpit system, which consists of two screens larger than 12 inches - one replaces the clock, the other is the classic center screen for multimedia, navigation and the like. Instead of a clock, the screen gives out much more information, but if you like simplicity, there is also a HUD display for PLN 7. As for me, maybe the virtual cockpit lacks analog elegance, but it works great if we want to have a map and all the important information in front of our eyes.

Live Cockpit, thanks to cloud storage, also allows us to transfer all the settings to another BMW car, just like in new phones.

The air conditioning panel with buttons is similar to the 8 series. Visually, this is really good, and this solution saves space in the cabin. Perhaps this is also intended to show that the electronics here are on a completely different level, but if someone expected large air conditioner handles, unfortunately not.

The materials are of course at a fairly high level, in the base we get leather upholstery and feel here exactly as we would like in a large luxury car. Also pay attention to the details. The steering wheel paddles are partly trimmed in leather. On the wide central tunnel we find touch buttons with tactile vibration - so we get the impression that we are pressing a physical button. BMW We also praise the relative conservatism - they didn’t give a huge TV, like in the Tuareg, or three screens, like in the Audi - we just have two screens and thanks to this, the dashboard remains in place even when the engine is turned off. turned off.

Practicality first...

However, something else comes to the fore here - practicality. Sitting further ahead, we can see heated and cooled cupholders, wireless phone charging, and large door pockets.

In the second row of seats, of course, we will get a lot of space, and if desired, we can equip it BMW X5 with optional 12-inch rear screens or USB ports in the front seat backs.

However, I am not talking about the “second row” by chance, because. X5 It also comes in a 7-seater version with easier access to the third row. In this case, the backrests of the second row are folded electrically. However, you will have to spend 10 thousand. zloty.

And just as the first X5 received a split tailgate from Range Rover, this element has survived to this day. This way we can create a more comfortable, level surface for loading or simply open the top to quickly take something out or put it in the trunk.

And the trunk itself is really big, because it already has a base capacity of 650 liters. After folding the backs of the second row, it will be 1860 liters. Even in the trunk, however, there are extra practicality-enhancing features we haven't seen before. For example, there are additional rubber guides that inflate while driving to reduce luggage slipping. Chill!

BMW X5 there are tons of sensors and radars around it. These are 12 ultrasonic sensors, 10 parking sensors, four cameras, a long-range radar and two short-range radars. All of this is used by driving assistance systems such as Lane Keeping System and adaptive cruise control, but BMW he also went even further. We can park with our eyes closed and leave the parking space without opening them. X5 because he can recreate the last 50 meters in reverse gear, making exactly the same movements that we made to get to the place.

And if we park ourselves, but we have a narrow street under our house, we can always set the activation points of the 360-degree camera on the map and instead of playing with the buttons, we will always get additional help there.

…and comfort

BMW should give you driving pleasure. New X5 with a 30d engine, that is, a 3-liter diesel engine with 265 hp. and 620 Nm of torque just gives out. The engine is responsible for good acceleration (from 0 to 100 km / h in 6,5 seconds), but like the diesel, the six-cylinder also has a very good work culture.

However, this driving pleasure comes mainly from the steering. On the one hand, it allows you to feel the car well, and on the other hand, it is direct, accurate and quickly responds to the driver's commands. The body does not roll in corners, which makes this large SUV ready to change direction despite its weight of more than 2,1 tons.

However, it cannot be hidden that new bmw x5 it should have been more luxurious to drive. So we have a brilliant muffler that even off-road AT tires from the so-called "Cube" will not interfere with. Even at 140 or 160 km/h we can talk to all passengers without raising our voices.

The air suspension perfectly isolates us from the bumps in the road. However, we are able to change its performance - and in the "Sport" mode, you can see it from a completely different angle. In combination with xDrive, the car turns surprisingly well, especially fast ones. In fact - I was blown away by the grip he can achieve BMW X5 and how smoothly it shows that it is already at the limit. On AT tires!

However, these off-road tires suggest that something has changed here. And in fact new X5 it works very well in the field. Especially with the xOffroad package, which adds a limited-slip rear differential and covers the chassis front and rear. The height-adjustable suspension, which we can adapt to the situation, also helps. It's like a gadget, but when you dig in so the car sits on the chassis, an extra few inches of ground clearance can sometimes save you a lot of trouble.

And when we get back on the road, we find that the diesel engine in the big X5 makes do with a meager 8L/100km in the city and is able to drop to 5-6L/100km on the road. Congratulations to the BMW i with the 8-speed automatic transmission.

The new BMW X5 is better, but also different

New BMW X5 it is more expensive by 15 thousand. PLN from its predecessor with the same engine. However, we are getting a much more technologically advanced car - it's not just cosmetic changes. The new X5 feels new quality and a big improvement over its predecessor.

BMW X5 became more comprehensive. More comfortable, more off-road and at the same time has not yet lost its sporty character.

And all this with great attention to the most important thing in such a car - practicality. Thus, the X5, although it had many talents, has now become a multi-tasking car. It is more complete. And in the case of an SUV, this is a very big plus.