In Australia, the new X5 is expected to pick up where the old one left. That’s at the top of the sales chart, well above its next in line competitor, the Mercedes-Benz ML-Class. The fact that the Bavarians managed to outshine the brand new Merc is impressive.
The guys from Car Advice were invited to the official launch of the new model that was held in… New Zealand. And what better place to test the SUV’s capabilities both on and off asphalt? Their fleet included an xDrive30d model, an xDrive50i and the diesel monster, the M50d.
Out of the bunch, the M50d was really the star. It’s 3-liter triturbo engine and special suspension proved to be exactly what you’d want in a premium SUV, making up for the lacks the other two showed. Furthermore, according to the reviewers, this particular model seemed to be on par with a Cayenne, especially in handling and that says a lot.
The interior was also impressive, showing much improvement over the aging E70 model that faded away rather quickly in its 7 years of production. What they didn’t like, though, was the exterior that doesn’t seem to be imposing enough but that’s a subjective matter.
Bottom line, the new X5 delivers what you’d expect from a class leading model but you do have to pay to get exactly what you want.
Full test at Car Advice