BMW surprised quite a lot of people when they revealed the initial line-up of the new F15 X5. That’s because amongst the usual petrol units that we expected, they also launched the M50d model from the get go.
Therefore, alongside the xDrive35i and xDrive50i models that were expected by everyone we also got to see a monstrously powerful model wearing the M letter on the back.
Fret not though, as this is not a proper M car. No, this is just one of those M Performance Automobiles you heard so much about that are aiming at making Audi’s S division scarce on various markets.
The M50d is using the current world record holding diesel 3-liter engine. The inline 6-cylinder ‘heart’ makes 381 HP and 740 Nm (546 lb-ft) of torque thanks to not one or two turbochargers but no less than three. Yes, you read it right, it has three turbochargers.
No matter how impressive that torque numbers seems like on paper, the power is delivered smoothly and it doesn’t take you by surprise at any moment. If we were to compare this unit to anything else on the market, we’d say it’s an aspirated petrol engine rather than a diesel with so much torque.
That’s because the power is delivered smoothly and it’s not jerky at any moment. Part of the credit has to go to the 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox but most of it is due to the excellent craftsmanship of the engineers.
Couple those with the xDrive all-wheel-drive system and you get a blazing fast SAV that does the 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint in just 5.3 seconds, enough to leave you breathless.
We had the pleasure of testing this beast earlier this year and our review is rather comprehensive. However, for your viewing pleasure, the guys from Car Advice also created a video of their experience. Check it out, below.
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