With the X3 getting the electric treatment and the X1 to follow shortly, some are wondering which SUVs are next in line to lose the combustion engine. Independent artist SRK Designs took the liberty of imagining the X5 in a zero-emissions guise by adapting styling cues from recent eco-friendly models launched by Bavaria.
Although BMW has technically revealed an iX5 already with hydrogen propulsion, it won’t be a series production model since only a small batch will be produced this year for demonstration and testing purposes. A battery-powered version would make more sense considering the hydrogen charging infrastructure is deficient in most parts of the world.
It’s unclear whether the G05-generation model will get the EV treatment, but we wouldn’t count on it. With BMW deciding to go with the iX moniker for its largest electric SUV, it might have been because there’s still room to do an iX5 further down the line. Bear in mind the next 5 Series has already been confirmed to eschew the gasoline and diesel engines for an i5, so a high-riding version would make sense.
Even though the Neue Klasse dedicated platform coming in 2025 is believed to debut with a 3 Series Sedan EV, it will be a modular architecture to allow BMW to rapidly expand its electric offerings at reduced costs. The first SUV to ride on the promising underpinnings will probably be the next iX3. These NK-based models will have significantly different styling than the current crop of models, unlike the rendering here, depicting an X5 with various “i” motifs.
If you’re thinking the front bumper design looks familiar, there’s a good reason for that. The third-party rendering illustrates the iX5 with the angular look of the Concept XM. It lacks the split headlights and gargantuan grille of the plug-in hybrid SUV, which frankly is for the better. Speaking of the front lights, they’re adapted from the iX.
All things considered, one would argue the end result plays it a lot safer than the two SUVs we’ve mentioned.
[Source: SRK Designs / YouTube]
