Yesterday, BMW unveiled their second iteration of the plug-in hybrid of the X5 range. Labeled X5 xDrive45e, the new SUV brings a few tech updates to the table which makes it the most interesting model of the X5 family.
The overall power output rises up to a maximum of 394 PS (388 HP) and 600 Nm (442 lb-ft) of torque, thanks to an electric motor still located between the thermal unit and the gearbox, good for 112 PS. Those figures allow the X5 xDrive45e to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) from standstill in just 5.6 seconds, a full second faster than the car’s predecessor.
Furthermore, driving on electric power alone has also been fine-tuned, with the car now being able to reach a top speed of 140 km/h (87 mph) in EV mode and a range of 80 km (50 miles), a considerable improvement from the old car which was rated at some 30 kilometers (20 miles).
In their press release issued yesterday, BMW of North America said that those figures might be different for the US market when the car arrives in 2020, as a 2021 Model Year. While the Europeans get the car in March 2019, the US market will be at least a year behind the official launch of the X5 xDrive45e.
“The reason for that is that the European model is not SULEV, which the US model will be,” Alex Schmuck, BMW NA Communications Manager told us. “It is important for the US model to be SULEV so that it can qualify for HOV Lane Access in California.”
