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2018 BMW X5 Pre-Production Prototype First Spyshtos Reveal Huge Kidney Grilles

We've shown you the next-generation BMW X5 on previous occasions, but the spyshots you can find to your right mark the first appearance of the pre-production prototype.
2018 BMW X5 spied 19 photos
Photo: SB-Medien
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Since the early mules are gone, we can now find the actual design of the SAV hiding under the camo.

For instance, the mules could trick one into believing the front fascia packed a design similar to that of the current model, with large kidney grilles and a horizontal intake bar underneath them. Well, the pre-production spied here shows that the Bavarian automaker's trademark grilles have actually grown, while the bar underneath them seems to have disappeared.

And while we still can't trust the headlights and the taillights, the rest of the vehicle offers plenty of hints of what we get once the new X5 hits the market.

Another excellent example comes from the new rear end, where we can clearly notice the tailgate, the bumper, as well as the elegant exhaust tips.

Underneath the skin, we'll find BMW's CLAR architecture. The CLuster ARchitecture, which debuted on the 2016 BMW 7 Series, will also underpin the 2018 X3, which we recently spied at the Spartanburg factory in South Carolina, as well as the new X7 full-size model that is scheduled to arrive in 2018, probably as a 2019 model -keep in mind that the carmaker has officialy confirmed the debut of the X7.

So while the X5 should grow a bit compared to the current model, it certainly won't become heavier, all thanks to the platform mixing carbon fiber-reinforced plastic with steel and aluminum.

We'll remind you the current X5, which made its debut for the 2014 model year, packs the platform of the second-generation model, which came to the market for the 2007 model year. We expect the all-new, fourth-gen X5 to be presented late next year, as a 2018 model.
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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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