BMW will be skipping a facelift for the BMW X5 and instead will focus its attention on bringing out a whole new car for the 2019 model year, aiming at making its SUV more attractive than ever. The Germans have been hard at work developing the new car, working on the X6 and X7 versions as well at the same time. All of them will be built atop the CLAR architecture, leaving the current platform behind.
The F15 is actually based on the same platform as the E70 with some upgrades thrown in for good measure. Of course, the interior and exterior design sets the two apart but the underpinnings are drastically similar. And while that might’ve worked back in 2014 when the current X5 was launched, as the world started getting thirsty for SUVs, BMW had to step up its game. Therefore, a move to the CLAR platform was deemed necessary.
This means the new X5 will cut the production span of the current one by 2 years and when launched it will be lighter than its predecessor thanks to extensive usage of lightweight materials. On the design front, the new X5 will look more like a facelift rather than a new model, as the Germans are quite satisfied with the way the SUV looks like right now. Inside the cabin the same story will apply, with the design language somewhat following the rest of the range, so expect finer finishes, higher quality leather and the latest gadgets and driving assistance features.
The cars showcased in the video below seem to be powered by V8 powerplants. While the first one seems to be an xDrive50i model, the second car we’re looking at, the one with different wheels, is definitely a prototype for the upcoming X5 M. Under its hood hides the same 4.4-liter V8 mill used on the new F90 M5 and, considering the drop in weight the new X5 M is supposed to get, we reckon this uber-SUV will be even more aggressive than the one we have today. Since the F85 X5 M reaches 100 km/h (62 mph) from standstill in 4.2 seconds, we could see the new one go under 4 seconds. Furthermore, chances are the new X5 M could get the same xDrive system as the M5 and therefore be able to switch between all-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive.
