Next BMW X5 will share underpinnings with the current 7 Series and have plug-in hybrid and performance variants
A next-generation BMW X5 development car has been spotted being tested wearing its own bodywork, showing the new look of the 2018 model for the first time.
Earlier development cars have worn adapted versions of the current X5’s exterior, but today’s sighting clearly shows the car’s new bumper and boot lid designs.
A previous car was spotted with heavy weights on its roof. This testing procedure is standard practice on car models that can be fitted with racks, and was likely to be working towards determining chassis settings and weight distribution.
The next-generation X5 will use the same platform as the 7 Series, on the CLAR (cluster architecture) platform. This platform supports steel, aluminium, carbonfibre and magnesium construction, so it’s likely there will be a sizeable reduction in weight compared with the lightest of the current X5s, the xDrive35i, which tips the scales at 2030kg.
A plug-in hybrid X5 will follow the standard X5 some time after its introduction, as will a performance-orientated, 600bhp-plus X5 Mvariant. BMW’s aim of launching performance variants earlier in the lifecycle of its models means that the X5 M could arrive not long after the regular X5.
Sources close to BMW also report that the next X5 line-up will feature a combination of four, six and eight-cylinder engines. It will launch at roughly the same time as its arch rival, the next Mercedes GLE.
The facelifted version of the current X5, which has been around since 2013, is due to make an appearance in the coming months, when the model is due to have a mid-life refresh.
The X5 will no longer be the flagship of BMW’s non-coupé SUV range, when the X7 makes its debut in 2018.
