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2018 BMW X5 Will Be Bigger and Lighter Than Current Generation

BMW launched the ongoing X5 three years ago, but that does not stop engineers from testing the all-new model.
2018 BMW X5 prototype 1 photo
Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
The upcoming X5 bears the G05 designation, and all reports point to it being built on the CLAR architecture. The four letter acronym stands for Cluster Architecture, and it refers to a modular platform that suits both all-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive applications from BMW.

The first to introduce the CLAR platform was the current BMW 7 Series, but it will eventually reach most of the models in the portfolio.

Most believe that the next BMW X5 will be launched in late 2017 or early 2018, and its new platform will bring the possibility of enhancing the size of the body without increasing weight.

Instead, the next X5 is expected to become lighter than its predecessor, just like its direct competitor from Audi did with the introduction of the second generation of the Q7.

We do not have any official figures yet, but the next X5 is expected to drop about 220 lbs (100 kilograms) of weight thanks to the new platform. The savings could go as high as 330 pounds (150 kg), but these values are presented just for orientation purposes, and do not have any certainty to them.

Other improvements that will come to the X5 with the new platform include enhancing the rigidity of the body, along with more technology. The engine range will be upgraded, and the plug-in hybrid variant is expected to become more efficient than the ongoing version.

From a design point of view, we've already seen a few prototypes of the next X5 thanks to the work of spy photographers. We know that BMW has fitted significantly bigger front grille on the next X5.

Most likely, the split front grille of the 2018 X5 will feature self-closing vents to help the vehicle achieve the best aerodynamic coefficient possible when required. The overall shape of the X5 is not expected to be changed dramatically, but the SAV will get refinements all-round.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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