The SAV that started it all gets its biggest overhaul
The BMW X5 created the premium SUV segment in 1999. Five generations later, BMW has used the G65 to make the argument that the X5 should be taken as seriously as its sedans. The fifth-generation car, revealed June 30 at Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina, is the first BMW production model to offer five powertrain types: petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid, fully electric, and (from 2028) hydrogen fuel cell.
That is not a concept exercise. Four of those five drivetrains will be on sale within nine months of the reveal.
The headlights
The most immediately visible change is the front end. BMW has replaced conventional headlights with a double-X LED motif that stays illuminated day and night. It is polarising. The kidney grille has been reduced to a slim, vertical strip that references the 02 Series from the 1960s, and the Iconic Glow illumination is standard on higher trims. Whether you think it looks like a BMW or a concept car that escaped the show stand depends on your tolerance for change.
What is underneath
The G65 rides on a heavily revised version of the CLAR platform, not the Neue Klasse architecture. BMW adapted CLAR to accept all five powertrain types in a single body, which is an engineering achievement even if it is not the clean-sheet design some expected. The electric iX5 variant borrows the Neue Klasse's 800V electrical architecture, making it the first CLAR-based vehicle to use the higher-voltage system.
Dimensions have grown slightly. The G65 is 4,994 mm long (+59 mm), effectively breaching the 5-metre mark for the first time. Width is roughly unchanged at 2,000 mm. Height drops by 23 mm, giving the car a lower, wider stance.
Powertrain by powertrain
X5 40 xDrive (petrol). The B58 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six gets a 48V mild hybrid system. Output is 394 hp and 580 Nm, up 19 hp over the outgoing car. 0-100 km/h in 5.4 seconds. Starting at $72,100.
X5 50e xDrive (PHEV). The B58 paired with an electric motor for a combined 490 hp and 700 Nm. 0-100 in 5.0 seconds. The 26.5 kWh battery provides an estimated 44 miles of EPA electric range. Starting at $78,950.
iX5 60 xDrive (electric). Dual motors, 570 hp (425 kW), 805 Nm. The battery is 141 kWh net (144 kWh gross in the US), the largest BMW has ever fitted to a production car. WLTP range is 645-845 km depending on wheel and tyre configuration. EPA estimate is around 435 miles (700 km). 0-100 in 4.6 seconds. DC fast charging peaks at 460 kW, with 10-80% taking 22-23 minutes. Starting at $81,250.
X5 M60e xDrive (M Performance PHEV). The top-spec non-M variant makes 612 PS (about 604 hp) and 800 Nm from the B58 and electric motor. 0-100 in 4.5 seconds. Europe only. Not sold in the US, where a V8-powered X5 M60 using the S68 engine is expected to arrive separately in 2027.
iX5 Hydrogen. Co-developed with Toyota. 750 km range, under 5 minutes to refuel. Due 2028.
The electric story
The iX5 60 is the headline variant. An EPA-estimated 435 miles of range from a non-Neue Klasse platform is a significant number. For context, that is more range than any production Tesla, any Lucid, and any other electric SUV currently on sale. The 460 kW peak charging rate is competitive with the fastest-charging EVs in production.
The "Heart of Joy" vehicle dynamics computer (BMW's name, not ours) integrates chassis and powertrain control into a single system, running roughly ten times faster than the outgoing controller. It is exclusive to the iX5, with combustion variants using a more conventional setup.
Interior
The cabin is entirely new. The rotary iDrive controller is gone. In its place: a 17.9-inch parallelogram-shaped touchscreen running BMW Operating System X (Android-based), a full-width Panoramic Vision display replacing the traditional instrument cluster, and Amazon Alexa+ voice integration. An optional 14.6-inch passenger display supports video playback and video conferencing.
Physical buttons survive on the steering wheel and doors. Climate vents lose their physical toggles.
What is missing
No X5 M at launch. The full M car, presumably with the S68 twin-turbo V8, has not been announced. BMW has confirmed additional M Performance variants beyond the M60e, including one V8-powered and one fully electric, but timing and specs are still under wraps.
Our take
The G65 X5 is BMW's most ambitious model-line strategy to date: five powertrains in one body, from a 394 hp petrol to a 570 hp EV with 845 km of range. The CLAR platform was never designed to be this flexible, and the fact that BMW pulled it off without waiting for Neue Klasse is either pragmatic or impatient, depending on your perspective.
For M enthusiasts, the wait continues. The M60e is Europe-only, the V8 M60 has no confirmed date for the US, and the full X5 M is nowhere on the horizon. The iX5 60, with 570 hp and sub-5-second acceleration, may be the performance play for now.
Petrol and diesel models go on sale November 28, 2026. The PHEV and electric iX5 follow on March 6, 2027.
Photo: BMW Group