Next-Gen 2019 BMW X5 Laps Nurburgring, Looks Less Nose-Heavy than Current Model

Case in point with the BMW X5 - while the current F15 incarnation of the Sports Activity Vehicle (that's crossover in Bimmer language) entered production three years ago, the German engineers are well into the testing program from the next X5, which uses the G05 internal code.

Our well-trained Nurburgring spied have caught the fourth-gen X5 lapping the Nurburgring. As demonstrated by the more civilian part of the footage, which comes at the end, this is a diesel test car, so there's no need to get your velocity hopes high.

Even so, the SAV seen here appears to have left the nose-heavy issues of the current X5 behind. And while not every SAV driver is looking for hooning episodes, anybody getting behind the wheel should be able to feel the more relaxed attitude that derives from such an improvement.

Then again, you'd expect the X5 to go through such a change. You see, while the F15 is based on an evolution of the previous model's platform (E70), the newcomer will rely on an all-new architecture.

We're talking about the new CLAR (Cluster Architecture), which we've already met in the 2016 BMW 7 Series. Mixing aluminum and carbon fiber, the new structure will shed weight while improving torsional rigidity, so the next X5 might just bring back the old school BMW handling experience.

And while the current X5 already offers hybrid and plug-in hybrid models, the G05 should deliver a better integration of the combustion-electric powertrains.

Since we mentioned the timetable of the fourth-gen X5 above, we'll tell you that BMW should bring us the SAV in 2018, so we'll be looking at a 2019 model.