Super TestCar reviews - BMW - X5 - rangeBMW modelsOverviewWatch out luxury SUV owners: BMW's bigger, faster (but no heavier) new X5 has landed26 Mar 2007 By CHRIS HARRIS BY BMW'S own admission, it would have been "unwise" to radically change the styling of its top-selling luxury SUV and, for that reason alone, changes for the second-generation X5 run far more than skin-deep. Significantly stiffer and bigger in every direction - but hitting the scales at within 50kg of its predecessor - the new X5 gets a gruntier new alloy turbo-diesel (3.0d), a redesigned 4.8-litre V8 for the 4.8i and the latest magnesium-alloy Valvetronic petrol six in the entry-level 3.0si, which doesn't arrive until June. Combine that with the option of seven seats for the first time, brand-new suspension technology that makes it even better on-road and pricing that rises only for the low-volume V8 variant, and the new X5's appeal can only be wider. Model release date: 1 April 2007 to 1 July 2010 All car reviewsAlfa Romeo Abarth Alpine Alpina Audi Aston Martin BMW Bentley Chevrolet Chery Citroen Chrysler Dodge Cupra Ferrari DS Ford Fiat FPV Foton GWM Great Wall Holden Haval HSV Honda Hyundai Hummer Isuzu Infiniti Jeep Jaguar Lamborghini Kia LDV Land Rover Lotus Lexus Maserati Mahindra McLaren Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG Mini MG Nissan Mitsubishi Peugeot Opel Proton Porsche Renault Ram Rover Rolls-Royce Skoda Saab SsangYong Smart Suzuki Subaru Toyota Tesla Volvo Volkswagen Previous modelFirst launched Down Under in November 2000, BMW's original E53 X5 - and its "Sports Activity Vehicle" catch-cry - took the luxury SUV market by storm. It launched in 210kW/440Nm 4.4-litre V8 (4.4i) guise only, with the 170kW/300Nm 3.0-litre petrol six-engined 3.0i arriving in March 2001 and the 135kW/390Nm turbo-diesel 3.0d lobbing in March 2003. Cheaper-than-petrol pricing saw sales of the diesel skyrocket, while the flagship 4.6is (powered by a 255kW/480Nm 4.8-litre V8) joined the range in February 2002. In January 2004 the X5 received a new xDrive all-wheel drive system, plus a beefier 150kW/480Nm diesel, a more powerful (265kW/490Nm) V8 for the 4.6is and a 235kW V8 for the 4.4i. Five-speed autos were also replaced by six-speed ZF transmissions. |
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