First look: X3 look for BMW's X5

IT’S hard to believe BMW’s first off-roader is already that age, but the benchmark setting X5 has reached midlife facelift stage in Europe.

Fresh from scoring a five-star European New Car Assessment crash rating for the current X5, BMW Group has issued details and pictures for the updated model it will debut at September’s Frankfurt motor show.

Due on sale in Europe in January, 2004, and in Australia a few months later, the revised X5 borrows styling themes from its recently unveiled smaller SUV sibling, the X3 – also due on sale here next year.

The first restyle of the popular X5 features new X3-style headlights with illuminated outer rings, a more prominent double kidney grille and new foglights ahead of a redesigned bonnet with sharper edges. New transparent lens tail-lights complete the styling update.

Underneath the subtly updated exterior is the all-new all-wheel drive system already announced for the X3. Unlike the current X5, which employs a fixed torque split that’s biased towards the rear, the facelifted X5’s new xDrive system constantly varies drive between the front and rear axles, depending on traction requirements, via a mid-mounted electronically controlled multiplate clitch.

Rather than using the DSC stability control system only for critical interventions, xDrive uses information from wheel, yaw rate and steering angle sensors to react to tyre slippage.

Whether it retains the current X5’s sporty, rear-drive handling dynamics remains to be seen.

While X5’s entry level 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine is carried over unchanged from the current X5, both the 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel and 4.4-litre petrol V8 have come in for substantial updates.

The popular X5 3.0d will benefit from even better turbo-diesel technology, the second generation common-rail BMW diesel engine producing about 30kW more power and 90Nm more torque.

The new engine will deliver a big 162kW and 500Nm of torque, dropping the 3.0d’s claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time by 1.8 seconds to 8.3 seconds and increasing its top speed while maintaining fuel economy.

Meantime, the updated 4.4i V8 gets Valvetronic inlet valve control and Bi-Vanos valve timing and is mated to the six-speed ZF Steptronic auto as found in the 7 Series but with unique gear ratios.

The result is 235kW (up from 210kW) and claimed 0-100km/h acceleration in seven seconds (down from 7.5), with top speed up from 230 to 240km/h.

The range-topping 4.6iS will become the 4.8iS later next year, when a 4.8-litre V8 becomes X5’s flagship engine. Expect price rises across the board.