Compared to its predecessor, the BMW X5 hasn’t grown too much in size, but you’d state the opposite when looking at it. This is clearly driven by American requests. We couldn’t quite say that the European BMW X5 buyers mind the heftier stance either.
The important aspects that define the proportions are similar to what we’ve seen in the past. We’re referring to the long wheelbase, short front overhang and upright A-pillars. However, the details have changed.
Predictably, the broad kidney grille and the headlights merge. Speaking of this, you can order
Adaptive LED headlights, which also come with an anti-dazzle High Beam Assistant. Alas, you shouldn’t expect too much of them. We’ve tested BMW’s LED lighting on a lot of new models, X5 included, but this just falls short of what other premium players have to offer.
Again a common feature for new BMWs, the sides of the front apron house Air Curtains, which held reduce drag. Together with other aero elements, such as the vertical blades on the rear window, these take the drag coefficient down to 0.31.
The aforementioned list of aero elements also includes the Air Breathers (extractors) on the front wings, but the profile of the car is dominated by the rising character line. The side view is flooded by concave/convex surfaces aimed at concealing the size of the thing.
At the back, we find a pair of L-shaped LED lights that spread widely onto the fenders, just like the headlights do. The Land Rover-inspired split tailgate is still there.
Aside from the more muscular appearance, the M50d also comes with
Grey mirror caps, a trademark of the newly-founded M Performance division. Oh and there are enough M badges on the body of the X5 M50d to fill the car’s glove box.
Speaking of the interior, the first thing you notice upon entering is how much they’ve pushed things towards BMW’s sedan line. Chief among these revisions is the dashboard. In its turn, this owns the most to the central display. We’re no longer treated with the cavern that surrounded the screen in the past. The 10.2-inch display now adorns the dash, offering good visibility to anybody in the car, not just the driver.